Bliss
by lexlady
Summary: After Peyton returned from LA, Lucas and Peyton found pure bliss, but will the return of an old friend and flame mark the end of their idyllic life?
1. Chapter 1

It is a beautiful day in Tree Hill. It is one of those perfect summer days when the temperature is just hot enough to stay comfortable, the breeze coming off the ocean is nothing short of delicious, and the sky is as blue as God intended it to be, with a few puffy clouds lazily making their way across it. This weather is made for picnics on the beach, cookouts, hammocks, pink lemonade, and pick-up baseball games on the green. It's perfection.

I've been back in town for four days now, quietly settling myself in. No one knows I'm here and I want to keep it that way for awhile. My career has never been better and it is true I have no shortage of friends in the big city, but when the man you are living with packs his bags and moves out, what is left for a 27 year old girl to do, but move back to her home town and lick her wounds?

It's embarrassment really that keeps me from calling everyone. He and I had been together since the end of high school. He'd been waiting for me with open arms after I returned from LA. I don't know where exactly it all went wrong, but it did, and I'm alone again. Somewhere along the way I lost myself once again in him and I know that coming back here, coming back home, is my way of getting myself back.

I make my way down the beach, weaving in and out of tourists and locals sunning themselves and enjoying the weather. I don't want to be around a lot of people right now and I know exactly where to go to avoid the big crowds. I idly wonder if Nathan and Haley are here and how they have been. I'm also guilty of not keeping in contact.

My life is so fast paced I barely have time for myself, let alone calling old friends to see how they are. James had to be at least eight or nine years old now.

I stop and place my beach blanket on the sand. There are only a few people scattered on this part of the beach. Only a few locals know about it. I pull off my shorts and tank top to reveal the black bikini I chose to wear today. I've gotta say, I look damn good. I don't look a day over twenty four. Somehow despite my hectic lifestyle, I still managed to make it to the gym five times a week.

My eyes scan the beach and stop on the form of a man coming out of the water. He's beautiful, skin perfectly tanned, water sluicing down and between every well defined muscle on his chest and beautiful arms. His abs made my mouth water. A smile tugs at my lips as I once again thank God for beaches and the gym.

I can't see his face yet since his arm is raised in front of it and he is turned off to the side. I furrow my brows though when I see a familiar tattoo and then he drops his arm. Oh my god. Lucas.

* * *

He is beautiful. The years have been extremely good to him. I hadn't thought that if I came home he would be here too. The thought never even occurred to me, yet here he is in Tree Hill, tan, buff and as beautiful as ever.

"Daddy! Daddy spin me!" A blonde little girl of about four, in a pink bathing suit runs full tilt up to him and he scoops her up into his arms with ease, tossing her into the air, much to the child's delight. A sad smile falls on my face. So he was a father…a daddy. I knew he would be one some day and a great one.

I watch as he swings the screaming little girl around a few times before he stops and holds her up in the air. I watch her arms spread and her little body arch as she continues to giggle dizzily and then I see the sun glint off of his wedding band and feel myself sadden.

Lucas Scott would always be the one that got away. He would always be that boy. The one that for better or for worse changed your life.

I watch him walk up the beach with his daughter on his strong broad shoulders to a blanket, two beach chairs and a big blue umbrella where a little boy stands on uncertain, little legs, ready to run. I gasp. I see those familiar blue eyes on the cherubic face from here and I know that he is Lucas's son and I know already who his mother is. A hand shoots out to grab the baby by the backs of his little swim trunks, just as he tries to take off. One long slender leg appears from behind the beach chair and then another. Yes I know these children's mother. If the beautiful blondes curls on the little boy weren't clue enough, then the beautiful blonde curls on the head of the woman who appears from behind the beach chair do it for me. I'm not utterly shocked to see that she was the one Lucas decided to spend his life with. But I am, mildly.

Lucas and Peyton were the love story that was never supposed to end this way. Yet here she was, all killer long legs, curly locks, married to the love of our lives, and mother of his children.

I watch her kneel to hold onto her son who is jumping up and down impatiently. His little hands are opening and closing in the direction of Lucas and it is clear that his children adore him and by the big smile that breaks out on his face I can tell Lucas is in absolute love with his children.

Their children are beautiful. Anna is a carbon copy of her mother, except her hair is straight and thick like her father's. They are messily French braided into pigtails on both sides of her head. William looks like Lucas, having acquired his father's 'broken' upturned nose, very big and very serious blue eyes, and dimples. His crowning glory really are those curls on top of his head, though. I'm guessing he's not quite two yet.

He lifts the little girl from off his shoulders and drops her on her feet in the sand, careful not to let go of her hand. They stop a short ways from the mother and baby and Lucas crouches down holding his hands out to the child who is letting out an impatient litany of "Dada!". The mother, with a smirk lets the baby go and he toddles quickly into his father's waiting arms.

"Just don't forget who carried you around for nine months and three weeks, kid," his mother warns. Lucas looks up at her and winks.

"Peyton I don't think _any_ of us will forget you carried him around for nine months and three weeks." He deftly avoided the sponge basketball she threw at him and laughed.

"Mommy!" The little girl runs up to her mother with wide eyes and wags her finger at her. "No, throwing. You say so!" This, causing Lucas to chuckle.

"Anna, you are absolutely right, my love," Peyton amends loudly. She pulls her daughter into a hug and sticks her tongue out at Lucas. In response he waggles his back at her, causing them both to laugh. The look in their eyes is making me sick. The look those lucky few people get when everything falls into place and their lives are everything they wanted them to be and more. What's the word for that? Oh yeah….bliss.

I told him once that I had stopped missing him. That, by no means meant I never stopped loving him. But he had moved on to or _back_ to Peyton and I had found Chase. I loved Chase, I did. He was good for me and he was exactly what I needed after breaking up with Lucas. But, I let her have him. I had bowed out, because I knew our time had passed and it was now their time. But like most epic romances, I expected them to fizzle,

I had seen the way Lucas was around Peyton those last few months of high school. He was barely around, caught up with proving Dan had murdered Keith, hardly taking care of himself. Lucas Scott was as closed off as ever. It was as if Lucas had mentally checked out somewhere between midterms and graduation. Lucas and Peyton had lost that spark I had been so jealous of and truth be told, I was kinda glad. Glad that it had not just been me being unable to crack through Lucas's shell, glad that maybe he and Peyton weren't what everyone seemed to think they were.

I thought that summer in LA would be the end of them, because he had just let her go, like it was nothing, like he expected her to leave. That was not the case of course. A month later, Lucas showed up on our doorstep, it was pouring rain, 11:30 on a Tuesday night and I was shocked to find him standing there when I opened the door in my robe.

"Lucas?" I had asked, as though I hadn't seen him in years and not just a few weeks earlier. His eyes had been bright and more alert than I had seen them in months. His response had been to ask where Peyton was.

I'd ushered him in, looking around behind him. "Where's your luggage."

He'd blushed and shrugged his shoulders. It was then I realized he was wearing some old jeans and a tee shirt. He'd looked as though he'd just dropped what he was doing and hopped a plane to LA. Which is exactly what he'd done, only to come here and look Peyton Sawyer, who had just come out of the living room looking for me, in the eyes to tell her, "I am gonna love you forever Peyton Sawyer. And I'm gonna be in love with you for a lot longer than that."

Lucas had stayed for a week after that and although I know they really tried to keep quiet, I knew Lucas really didn't have any need for more clothing than what he'd showed up in…or any clothing at all.

It was after I ran into Lucas one night wearing nothing but a sheet around his waist and a yawn, while I was on my way to the bathroom, that I realized I still had feelings for him.

A week after he'd left I'd blurted it out to Peyton and our friendship slowly began to fizzle. We never fought about it and Peyton never voiced any angry feelings towards me, which I believe she wouldn't have had a right to do anyways, but it was something unspoken. As long as that boy was between us we could never be the same and that boy would always be between us.

We went through the motions of being friends for a few months. I talked her ear off about Chase and New York, while she never mentioned Lucas to me. We eventually stopped talking around both our college graduations.

Not once in the few times Haley and Nathan had spoken to me did they mention Lucas and Peyton getting married or even still dating. I knew Lucas was a published writer. I had a few of his books, although I had yet to read them all. One of them had been dedicated to _My precious Anna_. Perhaps, I had thought he had married someone named Anna. Now I know it was dedicated to his daughter…his daughter with Peyton.

"William, don't eat sand," Lucas admonishes, grabbing the baby's hand and loosening the fist that is indeed full of sand and was well on its way to his mouth. William, I think after the Bard himself. I smile. It's just so Lucas. The child, William looks down at the sand, his father, back down at the sand, and then up at his mother for answers with big inquisitive eyes.

"That's yucky," Peyton explains, while she hands Lucas a wet nap to wipe his hand with.

"Ucky!" The baby echoes. "Yucky," Peyton says again, making a face, which causes William to giggle.

Lucas stands with the boy and blows a giant raspberry into his stomach causing the baby to dissolve into sweet baby laughter that makes me wonder when I would find someone who would want to give me children. Peyton smiles and stands, holding their smiling daughter whispering things into her ear that I nor Lucas can hear. Lucas walks towards them smiling at Peyton over his son's hair.

"My ladies," he grins causing my stomach to flip.

"My men," Peyton says in reply. They both scoot their children to opposite hips and Lucas dips he head down to capture Peyton's waiting mouth. It is not a peck by any means and I would rate it PG, it being open mouth and all. The children actually look bored, like they've been stuck between their parents making out before.

"Daddy," Anna reaches out and taps her father on the shoulder. "Daddy can you stop kissing Mommy now. We have to go play," the child, God bless her, says plaintively. Lucas and Peyton pull away grinning. He taps his daughter on the nose and says,

"Would you rather I kiss you?" Lucas plants a long loud wet kiss on his daughter's neck that dissolves her into infectious giggles. He takes her from Peyton holding her in one strong arm and pulls back to grin at her.

"Daddy I'll kiss you later. We _have_ to go play," Anna says.

"Honey, they _have_ to go play," Peyton echoes, an amused grin on her face. Lucas's face holds the same amount of amusement.

"Okay, Anna banana, you play with your brother right here where we can see you. Mind him," Lucas says to the young girl, setting her and her brother down. "And for the record, baby girl, I will never stop kissing your mommy." This makes Peyton smile, softly and me, my stomach turns again.

Anna looks up and puts her hands on her hips, "I know dat! It's 'mazing you guys have time for anyfingk."

Lucas's eyes widen and Peyton nearly chokes. I'm pretty surprised myself. That is one sassy little girl they're raising.

Anna just shrugs her little shoulders and says, "Uncold Nate says so." She plops down in the sand where her brother is chewing on the head of one of her dolls. She calmly wrangles it away from him and replaces the confiscated toy with a truck. "An Gramma," she adds as an after thought.

I can see Peyton turning red from here and Lucas's mouth is hanging open as he gapes at his daughter.

"We don't make out that much do we?" This comes from Peyton. Yes, I think, do you make out that much? Lucas turns to Peyton with a decidedly wolfish grin.

"I wouldn't call it making out."

"Oh wouldn't you?"

"No. I call it showing my sexy wife affection."

"What's sexy?" Anna's little voice chirps.

"Nothing," Lucas says quickly, bashfully meeting Peyton's raised eyebrow.

"Besides," he continues, sidling up to her and pressing that hard body flush against Peyton's. "It's not my fault you are so fine." He ends this statement by pressing his face into her neck.

"Fine? You've been hanging out with Skills too long," Peyton teases, but her shoulders raise and she bites her lip as Lucas goes to work on her neck. She weakly slaps his shoulder.

"No hickies in front of the kids," she admonishes, glancing over at them, briefly.

The children aren't but an arms length away from them and well in their line of vision.

She wraps an arm around his neck while the other moves up and down the arm that is wrapped around her waist.

I don't hear his low reply. He has abandoned her neck to whisper in her ear and by the look on her face, it's dirty. I don't hear the words that pass between them, but the conversation ends as Lucas nips her bottom lip and they melt into a kiss that is easily going from PG-13 to R in a matter of seconds. Lucas turns them away from the kids and slips his tongue into her mouth, his hands moving with lightening speed, from her hair to her ass, pulling her hips closer to his own.

I can see their tongues wrestling for dominance as Lucas opens his mouth wide against Peyton's. Her leg creeps up over his hip. I hear her whimper, he groans. His hands are shaking as he presses her hips hard against his own, trying to bring some relief to the massive hard on I can clearly see he acquired from their mini-makeout session. Just as quickly as it began it ends. They'd brought it back down to PG, minus the hard on that they were trying to hide.

Peyton's arms were wrapped around Lucas's neck and Lucas's arms were wrapped around her waist. They were still standing so close it was like they were one person, but still, at least they weren't still practically doing it.

I think Peyton is suddenly well aware that they were practically doing it, because she begins to look around at the few other occupants of the beach. And then her eyes land on me.

We stare at each other for a moment and I wonder if she will come over here or alert Lucas to my presence. Her gaze isn't threatened, she never once was and watching them now and the family they made together I see that she will never have to be. His eyes are focused on her and their children. Lucas pulls back and murmurs something into her ear that I can't hear. She tightens her hold on her husband and whispers back to him. I don't need to be able to hear her to know the words are "I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

I tuck Anna into bed and keep the light on for Lucas to come in and give her his goodnight. It is what we do every night and tonight after a day of fun and sand is no different, although Anna will probably be asleep before Lucas can get in there. I walk into the nursery where Lucas is rocking William. Our little 'Scooter'. We gave him that nickname while he was learning to walk. Before you would put him down his little legs were already moving. Our little man had places to go, very quickly. We joke that it's to make up for being born three weeks late.

Lucas has just finished reading a fast asleep William the last act of the Tempest. I never argued when Lucas sat down with baby Anna for the first time and read her Much Ado About Nothing. Haley on the other hand had a lot to say about it. "She's a baby Luke. They need bright colors, pictures and stimulation, not a bunch of black squigglys on a white page that mean nothing!"

"It has pictures," Lucas had argued, pointing to the one picture of William Shakespeare himself on the cover. I can't imagine him doing it any differently. I caught him trying to read Faulkner's Go Down Moses to Anna the other night, but she would have none of it. She was feeling more doctor Suess that night. Either way my kids will grow up loving words.

"Hey, he's out for the count. Anna's waiting for you," I say kneeling down next to them. He strokes our son's hair and smiles at me.

"Okay," He looks down at our sweet boy, who is snoring, apparently just as I do. Lucas had been far too excited to tell me the news, only because no matter how much he teased me about it, he thought my snoring was cute. William, named after two of Lucas's favorite authors, lets out a particularly loud snort and snuffles against his father's chest. I watch Lucas's gaze mist over and then he blinks. I love watching him watch his children. I've never known a man to carry so much love in him and the love I see in his eyes when he gazes at his children…or at me is naked, and fierce, and leaves me feeling so warm I think his gaze could light the homes of an entire neighborhood.

He finally looks up at me and whispers, "We did good, huh."

I smile. "Yeah, we did real good." He leans forward and I come up to meet his kiss.

"My God, I love you," he whispers fiercely after pulling back to stare at me. I smile.

"Go say goodnight to your daughter," I whisper, purposely allowing one shoulder of my robe to fall, exposing my nakedness beneath it. "Then come show me."

I demurely fix my robe, and collect our son from his arms, feeling his hot stare on me. He leans down and kisses our son's forehead and cheek and eyelid. "Sleep tight my beautiful, beautiful boy," he whispers.

I feel him exit the room and shiver. After five and a half years of marriage, the prospect of making love to my husband still excites me.

We've done it in every position imaginable, in every place imaginable, a taxi, a powder room during Haley and Nathan's fifth anniversary party, up against the wall backstage at Tric while Fall Out Boy played seven feet away, at the beach, at the River court and to this day we can't get enough of each other. Our ardor for each other has nearly gotten us in trouble many times. We've been walked in on more times than I can count. But it's always worth it….we think.

Today at the beach was no different. If the children hadn't been with us, we would have gotten under a blanket and fucked right there in front of everyone….including Brooke.

I still am in shock from having seen her. I don't know how long she's been in Tree Hill or how long she plans to stay. None of us have spoken to her in ages. From the way she was looking at me today I think now that we made the right decision in cutting off contact. I could tell she was hurt to see Lucas and I still together and just as in love as we ever were if not more. It also pissed me off. She had been hoping we wouldn't last. I could see the disappointment in her eyes.

I carefully lay my baby boy into his crib and kiss him goodnight. Carefully, securing the guard rails, I turn on the monitor and tip toe out of his nursery and into my room where Lucas is already lounging against a pillow, reading a book, reading glasses on and shirt tossed on a chair. Yes, reading glasses. He came home with them one day and at my questioning glance he sighed and said "You didn't think I was squinting cause I thought it was sexy, right?"

The squinting was sexy, but these glasses drive me wild. He only needed them to read, but knowing the effect they have on me, he'll wear them about randomly just to get a rise out of me. I blame the glasses for a lot of our public sexual escapades.

Hearing me come in, he shuts the book and sets it on the nightstand and slowly takes off his glasses. My body reacts immediately. God I'm such a sucker for those things.

Our eyes lock and I see him hardening from where I stand across the room. I love that I have that effect on him. I loosen my robe and let it fall to the floor and step out of it, completely naked. I watch his eyes darken and his breath quicken. He actually licks his lips.

"Well, Scott? Show me," I husk. He looks like he's about to fly across the room when the phone rings. He utters a scathing curse and picks up the phone. I feel bad for whoever is on the other end of the call.

"Yeah," he grinds through clenched teeth. He pauses for a moment and I giggle because I can actually hear that it's Haley from all the way across the room. "No you can't talk to her. Hales we're busy."

I hear her cry "oh my god!" and can only imagine she has gone into a "How much sex can two people have" diatribe. Lucas rolls his eyes. I'm sure if we weren't about to have so much sex Lucas would make some snappy remark about her being jealous because she's not getting any, which I know is not true.

He sighs sets his eyes back on me. He is uttering "uh huh. Yeah. You're absolutely right Haley," all the while caressing me with his eyes. His stare is so hard it's like he's physically touching me and I feel a pool of wetness between my legs. I can't help it. I touch myself. I hear Lucas's intake of breath and he moans an oath.

"Um Lucas!" I hear Haley call. I am rubbing myself and Lucas's eyes are the size of saucers.

"Stop!" He cries. I stop. "Fuck Haley, I really can't. I'll call you tomorrow," he manages, before hanging up on Haley mid sentence.

"That was rude," I say, lightly, watching him stand.

"I don't fucking care," he murmurs, as he gets closer to me.

"What did she want?" I ask. He stops right in front of me, so close I can feel his body heat pouring off of him. He looks at me plaintively.

"Brooke's home."

"Yeah, I know I saw her at the beach," I say. His eyes only show mild surprise and even milder interest. "How long is she here for?"

"Indefinitely is the word Haley used." He steps even closer to me and when he speaks again his voice is much lower and huskier. "But frankly I don't fucking care who is here or for how long." He bends his knees and places his fingers finger light on my hips, his lips a hairsbreadth away from my nipple. "I believe my wife wanted me to show her how much I love her. I intend on showing her all night and every other night and every day for the rest of our lives."

"Mmmmmmm," is my only reply. I bite back a scream, turning it into a whimper when his tongue swipes across my nipple.

"That's what I like to hear," he whispers as I wrap my arms around his neck.

One of Lucas's favorite things to do is kiss me. As vanilla as it sounds, he says he can't get enough of my mouth. I happen to share those sentiments as my husband is the most amazing kisser….in the world.

When I asked him what his second favorite thing was he said he couldn't choose between going down on me and actually fucking me. Both activities involved my lips, he'd said and he loved having my legs wrapped around him. He'd finally decided his second favorite thing was eating me out because he loved the way I tasted, the feel of my legs around his head, and the amazing sounds I made when he made me come. This decision came soon after he made me come harder than I'd ever come in my life. Yes, Lucas Scott is a dirty boy.

We even have a set of hand cuffs in our goody drawer….well we have a few things in our goody drawer…

Lucas is on his knees kissing my belly, dipping his tongue into my navel and then he moves me over to our bed, sits me down on the edge, grabs my legs and spreads them wide throwing one over each of his shoulders. "I need this," he husks, reaching his tongue out to taste me. I instantly fall to pieces.

Lucas is _really_ good at this. He is so good at it and he loves to do it. I feel his tongue moving back and forth between my folds, teasing me and my hands go straight to his hair. He's moaning, thoroughly enjoying himself.

He takes my tender bud into his mouth and sucks on it for only a second before he lets go and blows on it. I throw my head back and shove my hips closer to him. He always knows how to make me beg for it. God, I want his mouth on me.

"Luuuuuuke," I moan. He flicks it with the tip of his tongue and I feel another wave of wetness wash over me. Lucas sees this and groans.

"God, baby, you're so wet." He licks me up tenderly and I'm on the verge of screaming. My thighs are quivering. "Is that for me?"

"Lucas! Oh god Lucas please!" I cry, he smiles and slips one finger into me and then two, hooking his fingers and twirling them just the way I like.

"What?" He grins up at me and once again teasing my clit with his tongue.

"I want your mouth on me you jackass!" I cry, through clenched teeth, careful not to scream, lest I wake up the children. Lucas chuckles and replaces his fingers with his clever tongue. I cry out loud it feels so damn good and I hear Lucas moaning his pleasure at giving me pleasure. My fingers creep into his hair and they ball into fists. I can't keep my hips still so I am essentially humping his face, but he loves this stuff. Lucas likes it a little rough every once and awhile and so do I. I hear him growl and his hands grab hold of and press my ass, bringing my center closer to his mouth, his tongue manages to go deeper and I can't even form a coherent thought.

Lucas pulls back to take my clit into his mouth. My clit is in love with his mouth. He sucks on it, flicks it with his tongue, draws it straight across his tongue and then does it again, jamming his fingers back inside me, making me squeal in delight. He gets a good rhythm going and I feeling my orgasm coming fast and hard. Lucas's fingers find their way into my mouth and I suck on them. I can feel the vibration of his humming and moaning into me and it feels so fucking good. He feels so fucking good.

I grab a pillow and muffle my screams as I come harder than I've come in quite some time.

We are both panting and as he kisses his way up my sweat soaked chest, I toss the pillow back up to the top of the bed. I can't actually move and I'm still shivering in the aftermath of my orgasm, when I feel his fingers on me again, inside me, teasing my clit. He has already lost his pajama bottoms and I bite my lip at the size of his erection. He's already leaking pre-cum and he's shaking.

"Oh baby," I whisper, touching the tip of his penis and opening my mouth to him, accepting his tongue as it barges into my mouth. I moan, he moans. We feel so good together, that I cannot imagine my life with anyone else, making love to anyone else. We continue to kiss, our tongues once again dancing like lovers, while we touch each other. His fingers inside of me, mine stroking and pumping his erection. Our bodies begin to feel the excitement burning our bellies and suddenly Lucas pulls back and his stare is so intense I almost come at the sight of his gaze on me.

"I need to be inside of you," he whimpers and he barely gets those words out before he and I are crashing into one another and he is moaning and thrusting into me like it has been years and not days. His hands move to my hips as he guides our movements.

"Ohh Lucas. Ohhh my god, Luke. OH! You feel so good. Mmm, ohhh. Yeahhhh," he brings my legs up higher, sitting up just enough to sink his cock even deeper into me, causing us both to cry out in ecstasy.

"Peyton I love you. Baby I love you so much. I love you so," He moans wrapping his arms around my waist, quickening his movements, as he pounds into me over and over again. I can't explain how divine it feels to have him inside me, filling me, and loving me, his shaft rubbing me just the right way.

Our lips find each other in a hot, wet, open mouth kiss, our tongues tangle together desperately and I feel myself coming again and I know he's waiting for me by the way his hands are shaking and kneading my flesh. He swivels his hips and I whimper. I love when he does that.

"Come with my Peyt," he groans. "Oh god, baby come with me."

"I'm so close. Oh Luke." He reaches his hands between us and finds my clit and begins to rub it in time with his thrusts. He's so clever and I am so coming.

He covers my mouth with his own to shut us both up as we come hard. Lucas is slamming into me so hard the head board shakes. I milk his cock hard, as he comes and we hold onto each other tightly our bodies slick with sweat and fluids. We collapse onto the mattress wrapped in each other's arms after our mind blowing, core shaking orgasms pass.

"That was-" I am panting and neither of us have said anything for a long time.

"Incredible," he supplies, still panting. "Amazing? Out of this world?"

"All those things," I slur. I can tell I'm falling asleep, which is usually the case for me and most men after amazing sex. Lucas usually wants to talk and cuddle afterwards. Go figure.

"It's always that way when I'm with you. When we're together," he whispers, tracing a pattern on my back. I look up at him and smile. Maybe I'll stay awake just a little bit longer. He leans in and we share a tender kiss.

"Show me again," I whisper and he obligingly rolls back on top of me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so Bliss was originally going to be a oneshot, but I wrote chapter two which is called Blissfully and rated MA for sexual content. I decided to turn this into a small series. So I hope you all enjoy it.**

Haley let herself into the Scott residence, humming loud enough to make her presence known. She and Peyton had exchanged keys somewhere along the way in case of emergencies, but she blatantly used the key for….well not emergencies. She had scared the hell out of Lucas one day looking for Peyton and on another, had walked in on Lucas and Peyton in a very compromising situation. She knew she should call or something, but couldn't imagine the kind of trouble she could get into that early in the morning so she decided to just walk in. Besides that, it was funny hearing Lucas scream….not so funny walking in on your childhood best friend and brother in law naked with his wife. Haley shuddered and then blushed profusely at the memory.

Walking into the kitchen she put the coffee on, considering it her civic duty for the morning. Peyton without coffee is a mean Peyton. She sat down tapped her fingers on the table and considered banging a few pots and pans around to get the family up.

Brooke was back home and she considered it a major event considering their good friend and godmother to her son who had just fallen off the face of the planet, had just reappeared out of nowhere.

She and Nathan had just finished tucking their three year old daughter Amalia into bed and were about to go into James's room when the phone had rung.

"Hey tutor mom," came the familiar, raspy voice of her MIA friend, Brooke. Haley was so shocked to hear from her that their conversation went by in a blur and before she knew it she was inviting her to the annual Scott family cookout the next day. Shock gave way to indignation and she quickly picked the phone back up and called 'the other Scotts'.

She wasn't sure how much of her babbling, Lucas had heard. It was obvious he and Peyton were in the middle of some serious foreplay and he wasn't listening to a word she said. He'd hung up on her before she could mention that she'd invited the brunette to their cookout so she was left to stew about it all night.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Brooke coming home. It had been so long without a peep from her. She got the feeling something had happened between Brooke and Peyton, but Peyton would just shrug when she pressed her for information. Whatever had happened between the two it didn't, in Haley's opinion, make it okay for her to cut off contact with her and her godson. Either way, Brooke was back home, maybe for good and she wasn't sure how she would fit into their lives.

She figured she would take it a step at a time and start with breaking it to Lucas and Peyton that there would be a pink elephant (otherwise known as 'the ex') at the cookout today. She figured she could prime Peyton and Lucas for Brooke's return in person.

"Um, Haley?"

Haley turned to find Lucas in the doorway staring at her with confusion and some exasperation. A sleepy eyed William in footy pajamas was cradled in one of his arms, while Anna stood beside him, her hand tucked into her father's hand. Seeing her aunt there, Anna broke away and ran to her.

"Hi Aunt Haley!"

"Hey munchkin! How was the beach yesterday!" Haley asked ignoring the eye rolling she was receiving from Lucas.

"This is not an emergency Hales," Lucas managed to get in before the four year old excitedly dove into the finer details of their beach trip.

"We had fun! Mommy helped me make a castle and I swam, but daddy had to help me cause I'm so little, and daddy spun me and I got dizzy, but I didn't fall down cause Daddy wos holdin me. And we had ice cream!"

Haley couldn't help but laugh at the little girl's enthusiasm. It was like getting to see what a wide eyed Peyton Sawyer would have been like before the world happened to her. Anna looked very much like her mother, minus the curls. She was even at that moment wearing a tiny Pink Floyd tee-shirt and little shorts that she had worn to bed. Anna was like Peyton's straight haired mini-me.

She bounced the child on her knee, grinning. "That sounds like so much fun! Are you ready for the cook out today? You think you can handle all the fun you're having this weekend?"

"Aunt Haley I was born for fun!" Anna cried, sassily, making Lucas who was fixing her and William's cereal, and Haley dissolve into indulgent chuckles. She had Peyton's mouth too.

"Baby girl, sit in your booster and eat your cereal," Lucas said, pulling the little girl out of her Aunt's lap and into her chair. Anna happily dug into her cereal.

"Mommy can't cook," she stated around a mouthful of oatmeal. Haley choked on her coffee and Lucas had to compose himself before admonishing the child.

"Anna, that's not nice."

"But it's true," Anna said innocently. "Her oatmeal is lumpy and salty."

Lucas had to hide a smile behind his hand. No, God bless her, his lovely wife couldn't boil water and still didn't know the difference between a dash and a pinch.

"Honey we all know Mommy can't cook, but it still isn't nice to say. Everything that's true shouldn't be said out loud," Lucas said over his son banging his spoon against his high chair table.

Anna shrugged her shoulders and continued to shovel oatmeal into her mouth. Haley was still chuckling when Lucas pinned his best friend with a stare.

"So are we starting the cookout preparations early? You know it's at your house this year right?"

Haley rolled her eyes and put her coffee down. "Do you remember what I said to you last night?"

"Before I hung up on you? Sorry by the way. Yeah, Brooke is home."

"Who's Brooke?" Anna asked. Lucas glanced down at his daughter and then back at his son whose mouth was open and waiting for another spoonful of oatmeal.

"She's an old friend babes," Lucas replied, taking a quick sip of his coffee.

"I invited her to the cook out," Haley blurted. Lucas raised his eyebrow at her. "Do you think Peyton will mind?"

"I couldn't tell you, Hales. Apparently Peyt saw her at the beach yesterday."

"Yeah? What happened?"

"Um, nothing. Peyton said she saw her at the beach. There was eye contact-" Lucas deftly caught the piece of banana that William had sent flying and put it on his napkin, before continuing. "I don't know much past that. We didn't exactly have a long talk about Brooke last night if you know what I mean."

Haley scrunched her brows. "Um, ew."

"You asked," Lucas shrugged, before wiping William's mouth. "I don't know what happened between her and Peyton and I never really asked. Brooke was busy in New York and people drift apart all the time after high school."

"Not if they were made a god parent," Haley muttered.

"Bitter much?"

"Shut up. Where's Peyton?"

"Sleeping."

"Why? It's-" At the look Lucas gave her she blushed. "Never mind. How you and Peyton manage with two kids under the age of four is beyond me."

"Don't be jealous Hales. You should try it sometime. Then maybe you wouldn't be sitting in other people's kitchens making them coffee at eight thirty five in the morning."

"Eat me. I was here at eight fifty-five," Haley pouted. Lucas chuckled and nudged her, playfully.

"Cartoons?" Lucas looked down at Anna and raised an eyebrow.

"What about cartoons?"

"Can I watch them please?"

"Okay, but only till Mommy wakes up and then we need to get dressed."

"Okay, but only pants," she said, wagging a tiny finger at him. Damn, he thought. He'd never hear the end of this from Peyton. He helped Anna off her chair and sighed. At Haley's questioning look, he shook his head and told her he'd told Anna she could wear her Floyd tee shirt all day as long as she wore pants with them. Haley laughed and shook her head watching Anna scamper out of the kitchen. A moment later they heard Spongebob talking to Patrick about spoons.

"Seriously though Hales, you were really good friends with Brooke. If you're still so mad at her, why invite her to the cookout?"

"I dunno. I just heard myself inviting her. You know she called and she's back here because Chase left her. It's one of those situations where you need your friends around you, but she alienated all of us these past few years."

"Yeah and again, I'm not saying what she did was okay by any means, but people drift apart after high school. She's been doing really well with her clothing line and I can only imagine how fast paced her life is."

"Lucas, she and Peyton have been best friends since elementary school. They've survived through loosing parents, puberty, high school, psycho stalkers, _boys,_" she finished emphatically staring pointedly at him.

"Noted."

"I just don't see how she could just walk out of her life after everything because she was too _busy_. You're busy and so is Peyton but you still manage to hang out with Nate and I on a regular basis."

"Noted again. And that's because you just show up in my house without asking. I have no choice but to hang out with you," He grinned when Haley hit him and then continued with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess since it never seemed to bother Peyton and she never brought it up, I never brought it up. After awhile it's just a thought in the back of your head. We've been busy too, ya know? Peyton and I both a have busy jobs, her with the gallery and Tric, me with my novels and the paper. It's amazing we found time to have Anna and this little guy here."

"And still have time to try and make more," Haley cut in, raising an eyebrow at her childhood friend with the apparent voracious sexual appetite, when it came to his wife at least. It was a running joke all of their friends and his own mother kept going.

"Anyway," Lucas continued pretending he didn't hear her. "Brooke has missed a lot and we all used to be close. Maybe we're all as guilty as she is. I mean I know I haven't tried to contact her or asked about her in years."

"I don't know that it's appropriate for the a married man to contact an ex-girlfriend."

"Our situation has always been different, Hales. Complicated. I mean you and I don't have a problem knowing Nathan and Peyton used to-"

"Um, yes we do! That's why we never talk about it!" Haley cried, covering her ears. Lucas scrunched his nose.

"Yeah, you're right. But you know what I mean Hales. Like you said there is so much history between Peyt and Brooke and me that at this point I would think it's all water under the bridge. Maybe we should just give her the benefit of the doubt and welcome the prodigal cheerleader back into the flock."

"Yeah I guess." Haley amended. "I have missed her. What about you?"

"Have I missed her?" Lucas thought a bit. When he and Peyton decided to get married at city hall, the thought didn't occur to him until the party afterwards that his wife would have wanted her best friend there, even if Brooke would have bitched the entire time about them deciding to get married at City Hall and would have completely turned the low key cookout/party afterwards into a Tree Hill blowout party with all the trimmings. He missed Brooke for his wife, certainly.

And when the gang got together everyone felt a piece was missing. Brooke Davis was a part of their heart. Lucas wondered with a small smile if the spunky little brunette had changed the world yet.

"Yeah," he replied. "I miss her."

"Miss who?"

Lucas and Haley turned to see Peyton walking into the kitchen dressed for the day in a vintage Rolling Stones tee shirt and hip huggers.

"Oh, um…" Haley wasn't sure if she was allowed to say the name. No one ever really mentioned Brooke.

"Brooke?" Peyton guessed leaning down to kiss William's cheek and neck, making the baby giggle and coo "mama".

"Yeah, Haley invited her to the cookout," Lucas offered, suddenly not sure if Brooke Davis was safe territory in the presence of his wife. Something had to have happened between Brooke and his wife, otherwise that girl would have been there to wrestle Peyton into a Hoes over Broes dress for their City Hall wedding, and for the birth of their children.

Peyton paused in her movements for only a moment before resuming her morning routine, pouring herself some coffee and then dumping sugar into it.

"Peyt?" Lucas looked worriedly at his wife and then to Haley and back.

"Oh," was Peyton's reply.

"Is that okay? She called me and before I knew what was happening I was telling her to make a right on Cherry Chapel Road."

"No, it's fine. It'll be nice to see her," Peyton said, after thinking about it for a moment. "I'm glad she's coming. She's missed a lot," she said echoing her husband's earlier words. Haley and Lucas both visibly relaxed and Peyton laughed.

"What did you guys think I'd flip out? It's been years and if Brooke came home she needs her friends, so we're gonna make her feel welcome."

Lucas smiled and pulled his wife to is side. Peyton smiled down at him before leaning over to kiss him good morning. He hummed lightly and pulled her into his lap.

"Um, I'm still sitting here!" Haley cried. "Ugh, get a room," Haley groaned from behind her hand. "You know what, I'll just remove myself from this one." She was about to leave when she picked William up out of his high chair as an afterthought. "Can you say insatiable?" She said to the baby.

They broke from their kiss and Lucas nuzzled his nose against hers. "Thank you for last night," she whispered. "It was amazing."

"You're welcome. And it's always amazing with you," he whispered back. He began kissing her neck while she hummed her approval.

"I love you, you know," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's always nice to hear and I love you too, so much."

Peyton leaned her head against Lucas's and savored their quiet moment, despite the noise from the television floating into the kitchen and Anna's occasional peals of laughter.

"I predict today will be a nutty day," she murmured. Lucas chuckled through his nose and rubbed her back.

"I could have told you that. I woke up this morning and Anna was waiting in the hallway for me. She lets me know in no uncertain terms that she is not taking that Pink Floyd shirt off today."

Peyton laughed and pulled back to look at him. "That girl is all sass. What did you say?"

"Um, I said she at least had to wear jeans with them," Lucas shrugged. Peyton rolled her eyes. They were both firm with their children, but Anna really had a way of wrapping Lucas around her finger. Lucas claimed it was hard to say no to the girl because she looked so much like her mother and Lucas could never say no to his wife. She was still trying to figure out Larry and Nathan's excuse. They were all suckers for those big hazel eyes and tiny grasping fingers….and the pout.

"You are such a sucker. If she asked you for a four runner you, Nathan, and my dad would fight over who gets to buy it for her."

"No, she'd just get her three," Lucas sighed making Peyton giggle. He laughed and looked up at his wife.

"So are you sure you're okay with this? Brooke coming to the cookout?"

Peyton sighed. "I guess so. It's been years right? And apparently everyone has missed her." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and Lucas raised his eyebrow. Oh I am not falling for that one, he thought. He didn't want to fight with Peyton over Brooke.

"You missed her too, Peyt. I know you have. I don't know what happened between you two after you came back from LA, but a friendship like you and Brooke have can't just fizzle like that. What happened honey?"

Peyton shook her head, standing up. "It's silly, Luke. I don't like to think about it."

"Peyton come on," Lucas said standing as well. "Did something happen in LA? I knew something was up when you guys came back. You were being really weird around each other. Brooke couldn't get on a flight to New York fast enough. I know something happened."

"She told me she was still in love with you!" Peyton blurted. Lucas stared at her shocked and Peyton turned from his stare.

"In LA after you left, she told me she still had feelings for you. She said she wouldn't do anything about it and I didn't want it to affect our relationship and neither did she, but how can it not? I felt like such a hypocrite cause I did the same thing to her and I was so mad that she wouldn't let it go. It was déjà vu all over again. And I was afraid. I was afraid that if you found out….I thought maybe you would change your mind about us," Peyton whispered with wet eyes.

Lucas made a sound walked over to her. He turned her around and pulled her into his arms. "Baby, that would never have happened. How could you think that?"

"The way you were before I left for LA and then I read your book and what you wrote about her. You loved her so much Luke and I was scared-"

"Peyton look at me. I am so sorry that I ever made you doubt the love I felt for you. More sorry than you will ever know. I loved Brooke very much, yes. She's an amazing person and we both know that. But you and I-baby you and I were written in the stars. I can't not be with you and I wouldn't trade the life I have with you or those two babies in there that we made together for anything in this universe. I loved you then and I love you now and nothing and no one will ever change that, sweetie," he whispered passionately.

"Luke-" Peyton cried, letting him wipe the tears from her face.

"Is that what you're afraid of now?"

"She just looked so disappointed when she saw us yesterday, like she'd hoped we hadn't made it together or something."

"Baby, it has been years and for all we know that disappointment might have been because she saw how much she'd missed in your life. You got married and you have two children. Those are things a girlfriend wouldn't want to miss."

Peyton didn't think so and Lucas saw her skepticism. "Baby, whether she'd hoped you and I wouldn't make it, doesn't matter. Because we did and I love you and that is never going to change. She certainly can't change that. I'll tell you I love you every hour all day if that's what you need me to do," He leaned in and pulled her earlobe, lightly with his teeth and into his mouth. "Or we could go upstairs."

"Luke, Haley is here," Peyton giggled. He sat her down on the countertop and stepped between her legs before replying.

"I know," he mumbled while leaving love bites on her collarbone. "She can watch the kids."

"Don't be ridiculous," she murmured slapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"You know what's ridiculous is the thought that I would ever leave you."

Peyton smiled and look into his serious eyes. "I will never leave you Peyton. Not without one hell of a fight, my love."

Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck as he slanted his mouth over hers, pulling her into a passionate kiss that she returned with ardor.

Nathan walked in and sighed. Peyton was sitting on the counter with Lucas between her legs and they were full on making out. What else is new, he thought with a smirk. He looked down at his son who looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and decided to make themselves known before clothes started flying.

"Um, seriously guys?" They broke apart in shock and looked at Nathan standing in the doorway with James and Amalia.

Lucas rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Seriously, Nate? The cookout is at your house! Why are you all here?" He practically whined.

Nathan shrugged. "Lookin for Haley."

"Nathan Scott, the telephone," Lucas pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and waved it around. "Have you two met?"

Peyton giggled, and slapped Lucas on the back. "Be nice."

"It's hard to be nice when your little brother and his wife can't seem to wrap their minds around the idea of knocking."

"Oh so Haley is here," Nathan said, letting Peyton scoop Amalia out of her arms. James who had walked straight into the family room when they'd walked in with a rushed "Hey aunt peyt, uncle Luke," called out to his dad.

"Dad, mom is here!" Nathan and a grinning Peyton, holding Amalia walked into the family room, leaving Lucas in the kitchen to fume.

"Hi , honey," Karen greeted strolling in. "Where's Peyton?" she asked going straight to the coffee pot. Before Lucas could open his mouth Lily ran past him to the family room without so much as a hello. Lucas sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Oh brother," he muttered. So began the morning at the Scott house.

**Review please**


	4. Chapter 4

Brooke stood in front of the two story brown stone home, fidgeting with nervousness. She shifted the lemon meringue pie from one hand to the next and straightened her skirt. She had called Haley to see if she could bring anything to the cookout, to which Haley replied she should just bring herself. Haley had picked up on Brooke's nervousness and quickly allayed the woman's fears about seeing everyone again.

"We all missed you Brooke and no one faults you for staying away. We didn't exactly do the greatest job of keeping in touch either you know."

Brooke was grateful for Haley's welcoming and positive attitude about the whole thing, but she was really just worried about one person...well two. After the beach she couldn't get the image of Lucas or Peyton out of her mind. She was worried that Peyton had gotten the wrong idea about her silence and staring and she was also worried that she couldn't get the image of Lucas coming out of that water out of her mind.

She wasn't here to wreck anything. She was just trying to find herself again and get over Chase. Certainly, fantasizing about your ex boyfriend who is now happily married to your ex best friend meant she was on the road to recovery…or something.

She sighed. It was another beautiful day in Tree Hill. The neighborhood was alive with children riding bicycles, chasing the ice cream man, playing ball, and enjoying their youth. Brooke missed those days of innocence when the biggest problem she had was what color skirt to wear outside so little Kevin down the street would notice her. Most of the time being an adult just sucked.

She sighed again, her finger hovering over the buzzer. She could smell the charcoal from the grill and it reminded her that all she'd had for breakfast was a cup of low fat yogurt with cranberries.

"Okay, you can do this," she sighed. "You can do this Davis, just press the buzzer."

"Brooke?" Brooke spun around at the familiar male call and grinned.

"Well if it isn't Mouth MacFadden," she smirked, setting down her pie to give the taller man a hug. "God look at you, big radio personality!"

"Look at you!" Mouth cried back, giving her a bear hug. "Where the heck have you been?"

"New York. You know, my fashion line."

"Yeah I hear that's going well for you. So what brings you back home?"

"Um….I Just needed to do a little soul searching," Brooke replied vaguely.

"Good enough for me. You nervous? I can tell you've been standing here for awhile."

"Ten minutes give or take," Brooke shrugged, picking up her pie. "And I am nervous."

"Well, you can come in with me then," Mouth said, grabbing her hand.

"Won't your girlfriend get mad?"

"She would if she existed," Mouth shrugged, with a smile. They began to walk around the house and Brooke looked around.

"Where are we going?"

"Everyone is going to be in the backyard," he replied. The noise decibel increased greatly as they walked closer and Brooke hesitated a bit. Feeling Brooke's hesitation, Mouth stopped and looked back at her. "You ready for this, Davis?"

Brooke took a deep breath. "Give me a minute Mouth. I just can't really wrap my mind around all the time that's passed. I don't even know these people anymore you know?"

"Yeah. It's funny." Mouth said leading her to a bench pushed up against the side of the house. "You go out into the world after high school and you think they've prepared you for what's out there, but they haven't. You're forced to leave the only home you've ever known with nothing but the reassurance that you can always come home again. But…that's not always true is it."

"I remember thinking leaving Tree Hill would be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do. Who would have thought coming home would turn out to be so hard. I go out and make a name for myself but everyone here seems to have forgotten about me."

"Brooke, we didn't forget you."

"Maybe you didn't forget, but it's sad to know your home has not only stayed standing without you, but flourished without you. Mouth this place is my home…because of you and Skills and Haley, Nathan, Lucas, Peyton and Bevin….These people made Tree Hill home for me. And the people who made it home have become strangers and it's my fault."

"It's not completely your fault Brooke. We've all been busy trying to carve lives for ourselves out there. Being an adult is a twenty four hour career."

"Tell me about it. That career cost me my boyfriend. Before I could even blink he was gone and I realized I was missing something important in my life. Something I thought I could never find here in Tree Hill."

Mouth looked at her, questioningly. "What?"

"Love." She shrugged. "A sense of contentment."

"Well what makes you think you can find that here?"

"I mean lets face it, Mouth. Tree Hill isn't unlike a TV soap opera. Nothing runs smoothly around here ever, but all of a sudden I come back and it's like freakin Mayberry or something."

"Trust me Brooke, Tree Hill has not lost its penchant for drama, but that's every town. I'm sure there's a whole new generation of teenagers getting their hearts broken at Tree Hill high and their parents I'm sure are getting themselves into a fair share of trouble themselves."

Brooke raised a brow. "Not the Scotts though."

"Yeah I think they've filled their quota for drama in this town by the end of high school. I think they deserve to have their biggest worry be pulling off the annual Scott family reunion or which plant William got into this week."

"What?"

"William is a plant killer. Peyton started gardening two years ago and since William could walk he managed to turn over all the potted plants in their house. She and Karen won't let him near the outside garden and all the inside plants are out of his reach now."

Brooke sighed sadly. "I should have known that. I should know about her new hobbies and her children. God, I can't believe Peyton Sawyer is a mother."

"Yeah, it's pretty nuts. It seems like yesterday we were all sitting on the river court, watching Luke and Nathan play ball."

Brooke scrunched her brows and turned to Mouth. "Being a grown up sucks!"

"Hell yeah. I'll cheers to you on that later." He regarded his old friend and crush seriously and said with certainty, "But it's also really great Brooke. It can be if you make it. I think one of the worst things about being an adult is making decisions. It can be hard and scary, but ultimately if you shake that fear off and decide to make your life certain way, you can. You can find that happiness Brooke. Nathan and Lucas made that decision and their lives are really good now."

"Yeah, seems that way. Were you at their wedding?"

"Who Lucas and Peyton's? No. They uh-they got married spur of the moment at city hall. The only other people who were there was Karen, Lily, Larry, Haley, Nathan, and James. But they did have an impromptu party afterwards."

"They got married at City Hall?" Brooke cried in disbelief. Well…was she, was Peyton pregnant? Is that why they got married?"

"No. They found out they were pregnant with Anna eight months after the wedding. No, they'd been living together since the end of college. From what Luke tells me, they just woke up one morning, looked at each other and decided to do it. That was that."

"Oh," Brooke replied. Finding the disappointment she felt curious and slightly alarming. Mouth looked at her, curiously.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened with you two? I mean we all sort of figured something happened between you two, but she never said and we never asked."

"Wait she didn't tell anyone? Including Lucas?"

"Yeah he doesn't know either and Peyton tells him everything. So what happened?"

Brooke regarded Mouth. He had always been a good friend and someone she could share things with, without any fear of judgment. She decided to tell him. "Um…I told her that I was still in love with Luke." At the look he gave her she gave a wry smile. "I know crazy huh?"

"Woah. I mean when? When did that happen?"

"I don't know if you know this but Lucas came to LA about a month after we left."

"No wait I do remember that. He uh-used my credit card to book the flight. I don't think he even packed a suitcase."

"He didn't."

"To this day he says it's the craziest most liberating thing he's ever done. So what happened when he got there?"

"He told Peyton he was in love with her and that he'd love her forever. I don't know, it just-I was in love with him for a good two years, Mouth. That's a long time for me and it was a lot on my heart." Brooke paused, suddenly overcome with emotion.

"When he came into our apartment, soaking wet, and proclaiming his love for my best friend I didn't think, why didn't he ever do stuff like that for me. I just thought I wish he was mine. He was my first love and maybe that feeling never goes away or maybe I'm just fucking pathetic. I don't know. Anyway, he stayed a week and it was excruciating. I kept it in for a week after he left before I blurted it out to Peyton in the middle of dinner. I think at first she thought I was kidding, because she'd done the exact same thing to me, but then she saw I wasn't kidding." Brooke sighed and shook her head, reliving that night she and Peyton's relationship shattered once again. "I wish she would have slapped me or yelled, but she just stared at me for a long time before going up to her room. We never talked about it. Peyton had always been private about her relationship with Lucas, but now she never even uttered his name around me. Whenever he called she'd take the phone into the other room."

She looked at Mouth and shrugged. "After we got back I stayed with Chase and we moved to New York City. Peyton and I went through the motions, but it just wasn't going to work out. Not with Lucas between us again."

"Wow, Brooke. I didn't realize." Mouth said leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs.

"Yeah so, I don't know how she feels about me coming here today. Haley invited me."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you Brooke. It has been years after all."

Brooke shook her head. "I got in a few days ago, Mouth. I'm staying at the inn, because I haven't decided if I'm staying yet. Yesterday I went to the beach and there they were. Lucas, Peyton, and their two ridiculously cute kids. Peyton saw me watching them and I couldn't even read her. It wasn't hostile, but I'm pretty sure I saw that same look on a mother bear once on Animal Planet just before she attacked."

"Come on," Mouth laughed. "I'm sure she was just surprised to see you, Brooke."

"No, I must have had jealousy painted all over my face. I watched them for awhile and they just seemed so….blissful."

"They are really happy, Brooke," Mouth said quietly. "It's not too late you know. To make things right with Peyton. Have a relationship."

Brooke glanced quickly at Mouth. "You think?"

"I know. Part of being an adult is knowing how to work things out."

"Mouth is that you?" Nathan had just come from the front of the house, holding a bag of charcoal in one hand and Anna in the other.

"What's up man. Good to see you. Did you bring beer because-oh."

He was surprised to see Brooke sitting beside him with a pie in her lap.

"Brooke!" He dropped the bag of charcoal and let Mouth take Anna from him. He smiled warmly at the smaller woman and embraced, saying. "Glad you could make it."

"Thanks. Um, I brought a pie…actually I bought a pie."

"I was about to say, Brooke Davis baking? Hell just froze over." Brooke grinned and shoved him playfully, realizing how much she had missed Nathan.

"So, who's this?" She gestured to the four year old who was currently talking Mouth's ear off. Nathan smiled.

"You couldn't tell whose she was by the black band tee she's wearing?" He teased. "Anna, come'ere. I want you to meet someone." He beckoned the little girl over.

Nathan picked her up and Brooke gasped. She was all her mother's from her big green eyes and naturally petulant pout, to her black Pink Floyd band tee shirt and jeans. Her straight tawny hair, which was all her father's was French braided into two pigtails once again.

"This is my niece and Peyton and Luke's little girl. Hey babe can you tell this lady your name?"

"Anna Elizabeth Penelope Scott," Anna recited in one breath. Brooke's mouth fell open and her eyes misted. Nathan and Mouth shared a smile.

"The uh-middle names were Peyton's idea," Nathan said.

"Who are you? I don't know you," Anna said, eying the pie Brooke had in one hand.

"Oh! Um, my name is Brooke." Anna's eyes grew wide and excited.

"Daddy and Aunt Haley were talkin bout you this morning!" She frowned and tilted her head. "But you aren't old."

"Anna," Nathan laughed.

"Daddy says she was an old friend," she explained innocently. Again Nathan laughed and Mouth and Brooke joined him.

"No baby, when you're dad said old friend he meant he knew Brooke a very long time ago."

"Oh. You knew my Mommy too?"

"Yeah, I knew your Mommy, too," Brooke replied softly.

"Oh. She's in the back yard with Daddy and Gramma, and Aunt Haley, and Grandpa, and-"

"There are a lot of people back there," Nathan cut in before the child could go down the entire guest list. "Come on. Haley is probably wondering where Anna and I are."

"I was helping Uncold Nathan get coals!" Anna cried, back to them. Smiling, Mouth took hold of Brooke's hand and looked at her.

"She's beautiful," Brooke whispered.

"And smart. Her brother is adorable too."

"They gave her my middle name," Brooke said, still shocked. Mouth grinned.

"See? You weren't ever forgotten." Brooke looked back at Mouth and returned his smile. She had missed these people. Her friends and maybe, she thought, as she watched the little girl they called Anna; maybe they missed her too.

"You ready for this, Davis?" Brooke took a deep cleansing breath and then nodded. "Yeah," she replied, a small smile forming on her lips. Maybe you can go home again, she thought. "Yeah, Mouth. Let's do this."


	5. Chapter 5

"William, please sit still for mommy," Peyton pleaded with the wriggling baby. The baby didn't like missing the action going on outside and found it offensive that she wanted to change his diaper. "Just a second longer," Peyton murmured, swiftly diapering him and re-buttoning his denim overalls. "There!" Peyton cried, throwing her hand sin the air.

William immediately sat up with help from his mother and was about to scamper off, when he stopped turned and toddled back to Peyton, reaching a little hand out to her, with a plaintive cry of "Mama co'!"

"Thank you, baby boy," Peyton cooed. She stood up, tossed William's dirty diaper in the garbage and picked her son up, blowing kisses into his neck. Opening the screen door, Peyton carried William outside where he was immediately scooped up by Karen.

"Give me my grandbaby," she cooed, planting a sound kiss on his cheeks. William gave his grandmother a grin and a few choice babbled words before she carried him off to spoil him with sweets.

Chuckling, Peyton made her way across the yard to where Haley was talking to Skills. She snatched a cupcake off the large snack table set up outside and bit into it on her way. Her trek there was stopped as strong arms circled her, lifting her up, and spinning her around. She let out a small scream and giggled as Lucas set her down. He nuzzled her ear before whispering "I love you, Mrs. Scott."

Just as he'd promised, Lucas had spent the entire day sneaking up on his wife and telling her he loved her every hour on the dot. If he was doing something, he'd drop it just to go find his wife. If he was in the middle of a conversation with Skillz and Peyton happened to be walking by, he would excuse himself, grab her hand, and pull her over to him to tell her, kiss her on the nose and then resume his conversation, with Peyton swooning in his arms. If Peyton was coming out of the bathroom, Lucas would push her back in and…well show her he loved her.

The best part was, Lucas knew he didn't _need_ to tell her. Peyton was secure in his love, just as he was in hers.

"Just for that I'm going to let you have a bite of my cupcake," she replied, with a soft smile.

"Oooo, Peyton Scott, sharing a chocolate treat? Will wonders never cease," Lucas teased, hands still circled around Peyton's waist.

"You ready for my cupcake?" She cooed, her voice dropping a few octaves. She waved the cupcake around in his face.

"Baby, I was born ready for your cupcake," he replied waggling his eyebrows. Giggling Peyton pressed the cake to his mouth, adding quickly,

"A small bite!" Lucas grinned mischievously at his chocoholic wife. Every Christmas his publishers would send them a huge box of chocolates and every Christmas Peyton would eat all but three of them before he even got to see them. Lucas teased her about it all the time.

Remembering the year, Peyton gave him an empty box of Lindt's truffles as a joke he took a huge bite, leaving her a small sliver. "Jackass!" She cried, smacking his chest. "That was _my_ cupcake!"

"Mm-hfm-havfuffem," mumbled a still grinning Lucas with his mouth full.

"You're gross," Peyton said, trying to hide a smile.

"Oi fuff," was his overly serious reply, making Peyton crack up.

"You're crazy," she grinned. Lucas nodded, gazing at her, as he swallowed his cupcake.

"For you," he replied, matter of factly. Leaning in, he whispered, seductively, "You want your cupcake?"

Peyton nodded before he leaned in and interlocked his lips with hers, his tongue gently swiping across hers, letting her taste the chocolate on his tongue. Neither of them cared who saw and they both ignored the cat-calls and the hollered suggestions to "get a room."

Yes, Peyton "not really into pda" Sawyer had decided after she came back from LA that she would never hide how she felt about Lucas again. And she wouldn't be ashamed to show him how she felt in public with a kiss, which included "church-tongue". This did not really count as "church-tongue", in fact it was really just short of "porn-tongue", but Peyton had really wanted that cupcake.

Across the yard Karen sat with Haley and Larry watched their children embrace and smiled a bit uncomfortably at each other. They were happy to see their children happy and it was no secret that Lucas and Peyton enjoyed a more than healthy sex life. It was also no secret that they were a very affectionate couple. It was also no secret that they were parents and they were still getting used to seeing their 'babies' all grown up and married.

"God, I hope he doesn't start humping her."

"Haley!" Karen cried, with an embarrassed giggle. Haley looked between the two parents and shrugged.

"Sorry, but you know how they are and with Lucas telling Peyton he loves her every hour-Have you noticed he's actually saying I love you every hour?"

"As a matter of fact I have," Larry replied, bouncing a happy, squealing William on his knee.

"I think it's sweet." Karen said, sipping on her lemonade. "What can I say? I raised a romantic."

"Who doesn't have any qualms about doing it in other people's houses during a party," Haley couldn't help adding. She knew about their bathroom rendezvous. "I'm sorry," Haley said again at the look Karen gave her.

"Hey they're young and in love," Larry defended and then jokingly added, "How long does that honeymoon stage last?"

Laughing, Karen glanced back at her son and his wife, who were swaying back and forth to the music that was floating through the yard. She smiled softly and said, "I don't see their honeymoon ending anytime soon."

Larry and Haley followed her gaze and couldn't help but smile too.

"If anyone deserves a lifetime long honeymoon it's them. I've never seen my daughter so open with her emotions and so utterly happy. I for one have to thank you Karen for that."

"Oh no Larry, thank you. I've never seen my son so happy and it's because of Peyton. And you," she cooed tickling William. "Those two just make sense."

"Yeah," Haley amended. "As much crap as I give them-we all give them, it's really great to see them both so happy. Man, I still remember Lucas pining for that girl in high school. It's amazing how life turns out, you know?"

"I could say the same thing for you Haley James Scott," Karen smiled, nudging the woman who was like her second daughter.

"I think we all did good," Haley said, looking around her yard, happily at all her friends and loved ones.

"Cheers to that," Karen grinned raising her glass. Haley and Larry did the same.

"Salut! So Haley," Larry started. "I heard a rumor over by the grill that Brooke Davis was going to be here."

Karen raised her eyebrows and looked with interest at Haley. "Brooke is home?"

"Um, yeah. She's back in town indefinitely and she called me out of the blue last night. I invited her. We'll see if she shows up."

"Wow, I haven't heard that name in quite some time," Karen said, looking back and forth between Larry and Haley. She herself had become close to Brooke while she was dating Lucas.

"She's been in New York working on her fashion line."

"And it has been going so well that she can't call her best friend?" Larry asked, furrowing his brows. "She and Peyton used to be inseparable. She'd be over at our house for dinner every night. I never understood how she and Peyton just cut all communication after LA."

"Luke and I think something happened and I know Peyton told Lucas about it today, but he won't tell me. I'm hoping I can get it out of Brooke if she ever shows up," Haley shrugged.

"Why do I have a feeling it has to do with Lucas," Karen sighed.

"Um, because when it comes to those two fighting it's always about Lucas," Haley cracked with a raised eyebrow.

"What's always about me?" Lucas looked curious as he joined them on the lawn chairs.

"Oh, honey we were just talking about Brooke coming home," Karen said, smiling slightly as William scrambled off Larry's lap to get to his father. "Have you spoken to her?"

Lucas furrowed his brows and shook his head. "No, mom, I haven't." He paused to pick his son up tossing him in the air, eliciting a cacophony of delighted squeals. He set the baby in his lap kissing his cheeks before resuming. "I think Haley is the only one to have spoken to her since she's been back."

"We were just sayin' something had to have happened for her and Peyton to stop speaking," Larry clarified. Lucas sighed. Had his relatives always been so snoopy?

"And you guys assume it's about me?" Lucas's tone was indignant, although he knew their spat was once again, indeed about him.

"You have always played Archie to their Betty and Veronica," Haley shrugged.

"Did you just compare us to cartoon characters? Look, yeah something happened and Peyton told me about it today, but I'm not telling any of you about it. Besides it doesn't matter. It's been years. Water under the bridge."

Haley, Karen, and Larry managed a three way look and Lucas rolled his eyes. "Guys, Peyton is willing to bury the hatchet and give her the benefit of the doubt so-"

"So she needs the benefit of the doubt?"

"Haley!"

"Just askin," Haley submitted, raising both her hands up in surrender. "Besides, I think we're gonna get to find out for ourselves."

She nodded to the side of the yard where Nathan and Anna had just returned and behind them came Mouth and a nervous looking Brooke.

"Is she holding a pie?" Larry asked in confusion. Karen shushed him with a smile, but Larry added under his breath, "It _has_ been a long time."

"Hey guys, look what I found!" Nathan yelled. All the guests, a variety of old school friends and River Court buddies, including Skillz, Bevin, Junk, Fergie, Tim all turned to look.

"Davis!" They all cried. The old gang began making their way over, but Haley was ahead of them and as she approached her old friend, her anger melted away, and a smile spread across her face.

Brooke watched Haley approach. Her hair was a little bit darker now and a bit shorter, but she still looked like the same old Haley. And as Brooke returned home, embracing her old friends, she felt herself break, like a sigh held in for too long. The tears came.

"Hey stranger," Haley whispered into her hair.

"I missed you tutor wife," she whispered back after awhile. Haley pulled back and winked at her, wiping a few tears away and letting everyone else get their hugs in. She was holding the pie Brooke had handed her and she stared at it with confusion.

"Brooke did you bake?"

**Review Please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: I just wanted to thank you guys so much for all the great feedback for this and all the other stories I'm working on. Reviews really do inspire to get new chapters out faster and to keep going with the stories. I'm not so thrilled with this chapter and I may go back and rewrite it later, but for now I know you guys want me to continue on, so here it is.**

Peyton had gone to the other side of the yard to check on the children. James and Lily were kicking a ball around with some other children.

Both Nathan and Lucas had been shocked when the two decided they wanted their balls on the ground, not in the air. They worshipped Beckham more so than Jordan. The kids were proficient at and enjoyed basketball as well, but for the most part their sport of choice was soccer. Nathan and Lucas didn't mind though and Lucas liked to tease Karen that after years of being up to her ears in basketball drama she would now be a bonafide soccer mom.

She watched the kids play and had to admit they were pretty darn good. Lily was the spitting image of Keith except for the blue eyes. She was a happy girl who had the memory of her father ingrained into her mind, who shared his sense of humor, and often liked to refer to Lucas as her brother-cousin in front of company. She and Lucas shared the characteristic broken pug nose, a quietude often mistaken for brooding, and the ability to come alive in the midst of a sport.

Watching Lily fly across the field was like watching poetry. She told Karen so one day at the soccer game and the older woman had choked up and hugged her, saying those were the exact words Keith used to describe Lucas play.

James was the spitting image of his father, from his height, to his hair, to the piercing baby blues. For the most part he followed his father around like a shadow. If asked, his heroes in order from least importance to most would be David Beckham, his Uncle Luke, his Aunt Peyton cause she's "badass", and his father. The only person who cleared that list was his mother, who he cherished. He stopped to wave in Peyton's direction and she waved back.

"Lookin' good J-man! Lil-bit work those boys out!" Peyton winked at her little sister in law, who waved back, grinning, before flying around on the boys and making a goal.

Peyton walked a little ways over to the patch of grass where Deb and three year old Amalia sat watching quietly, flipping through a picture book.

"Hey Deb."

"Hello Peyton. How's the adult side of the party?"

"Pretty kickin, but everybody knows the kids side is where it's at." Peyton replied winking at Amalia. "Hey Molly,"

"Hi Aunt Pey-Pey," the little girl replied looking up at her Aunt with a sweet smile. Unlike her brother, Amalia looked like Haley. She took after her in the brains department as well. She was incredibly bright. So much so that Nathan and Haley thought about starting her in Kindergarten early.

"Watcha reading?"

"Where de Wild Tings Are. You wan read it wiff me and Gramma?"

"I would love to read with you. This is one of my favorite books," she replied, wishing William was here to read it too.

"Eh-cept for Unco Luke's wite?" The child asked, referring to the books her uncle wrote. Peyton raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Except for Uncle Luke's," she amended. Just as they finished the book there was commotion from the other side of the yard that caught there attention.

"Wonder what's going on," she questioned, glancing at Deb who shrugged. She stood and heard someone yell "Davis!"

So Brooke had arrived. Peyton suddenly felt a bit nervous.

"Is Brooke here?" Deb asked.

Peyton replied, "Guess so."

She made no move to get up and join the reunion going on a few feet away. She knew she had told Lucas and Haley that she was fine with Brooke coming, and it wasn't _completely_ a lie. She had missed her best friend. She missed her when she realized she couldn't call her after Lucas proposed to her. She missed her when she was getting dressed to go to City Hall. She missed her the day she found out she was pregnant with Anna and William. She loved Haley like a sister, but there was only one Brooke Davis. She could have used her best friend many times over the years and now she was back, but in truth Peyton wasn't totally fine with it.

She didn't know why she felt so threatened that Brooke was home. It wasn't as though Brooke was any sort of threat to her marriage. She was completely secure in Lucas's love for her and his devotion to their marriage. It was the past and all the feelings that came with it that scared her.

Although Chase was there and Brooke genuinely liked him, she could tell that Brooke was not over Lucas. She saw it the day Brooke had walked in on them making out in Lucas's bedroom and the night she had walked in on them with Mouth and Skillz at Honey Grove and she saw it the next morning when she left Lucas to make sure Brooke was okay.

She tried to ignore it, but she knew Brooke was still in love with him. And knowing Brooke, she knew the brunette wouldn't say anything at that point. Brooke had stepped out of the way to give her and Lucas their chance together. It had not been so much about Brooke as it was about Lucas.

Her fear had been for Lucas who had chosen Brooke over her more than once and every time he had, it broke her heart. She could read Brooke, but in those days it was hard to read him. Lucas had been distant and brooding. Disappearing on her for days, not answering her calls or texts, made Peyton feel like she'd been deluding herself when she thought she and Lucas were destined to be together.

There was nothing particularly epic about their first few months together as a couple and before she left for LA, she felt farther away from Lucas than she'd ever been. Even when she was on the drugs and at her lowest point she had still felt him out there, but now he was an island she couldn't reach no matter how hard she paddled. But she'd continued to paddle.

Somehow throughout their history, it just always seemed like she was always paddling towards him and he was always paddling towards Brooke. Peyton was afraid that Lucas had just stopped paddling altogether and since the current happened to send him in her direction then that's where he'd stay…until Brooke beckoned. She had been terrified that it was just a matter of time before Brooke beckoned, because that fear of Lucas leaving her for Brooke had never really went away.

Her own guilt in the situation made her fear more and it made her angry. She remembered her first response the night in Honey Grove when Brooke walked in on them after making love for the first time had always bothered her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she had cried. Why?

She had acted as though Lucas was still Brooke's boyfriend and they had just been caught cheating. That was the crux of it. She'd always felt she had to hide what she and Lucas had and how she felt for him to spare Brooke's feelings. She felt like she was still paying penance for hurting Brooke twice. She also felt like Lucas wasn't truly hers, like he was something Brooke was nice enough to lend her for awhile, but she would soon want back. And with the way Lucas was acting Peyton thought he would want to.

By the time they'd gotten to LA Peyton was depressed and plastering on a happy face for Brooke's benefit. In her mind though, she was just waiting for the call from Lucas telling her he'd changed his mind. But that call never came.

The night Lucas had dropped everything and traveled across country to see her, Peyton knew she would no longer have to paddle alone. Lucas had stopped drifting and had chosen his path. They had fought their way towards each other and managed to find each other in the waves and they had not let go since.

But the night Brooke had told Peyton that she was still in love with Lucas was still imprinted in her mind. She hadn't reacted at all when Brooke told her. She had walked away before she could say or do something she'd regret. The funny thing was, she had gone through how she would react in her head when this happened, because she had been waiting for it.

Peyton didn't want to believe that after all this time Brooke was still in love with Lucas, but the look on Brooke's face yesterday at the beach was clear as day. What made Peyton nervous though, was her response.

Peyton sighed and shook her head.

"Peyton?" Deb questioned. "Aren't you going over there to see Brooke?"

Peyton shrugged.

When Peyton caught sight of Brooke, Peyton's first response, while wrapped in the arms of her husband of five years and in front of her children, was to pull away. She panicked only for a moment before reminding herself she had every right to be in his arms this way. Peyton hated that she had to feel these things again.

She didn't want to feel guilty for the happiness she and Lucas had created together and she didn't want to believe that Brooke was disappointed that she and Lucas were still together, but she knew it was true.

Peyton had missed Brooke Davis and that was no lie, but in truth Peyton Sawyer-Scott was mad as hell.


	7. Chapter 7

"So what do you do now?" Brooke asked Bevin, who still looked every bit the Southern belle. She was standing with her, Skillz(they were engaged), Haley, and Mouth. An alcoholic beverage had thankfully materialized in her hand , replacing the pie, a few minutes after she'd arrived.

There was still no sign of the other Scotts though. She'd caught a glimpse of Lucas earlier, but had lost sight of him. She was more than a bit disappointed he had not come to say hello yet and wondered vaguely where Peyton was. She was enjoying herself so far though, catching up with all of her old friends. Everyone seemed to have found their calling. Skillz played for the Lakers and it was lucky she even got to see him as he was rarely in Tree Hill these days, Haley was a high school teacher, Nathan had filled Whitey's shoes as coach at Tree Hill High, and Bevin-

"Ah'm an investment banker!" This was said with the same intonation and enthusiasm as when she once said "Ah can stand on ma head and chew gum at the same time, kind of!" So naturally Brooke began to laugh and realized no one was laughing with her. She looked around and then her eyes snapped back to Bevin who was wearing the same moony grin she always wore and would wear forever.

"Oh-wait seriously?"

"An' she good at it too," Skillz chipped in. "Right baby?"  
"Ah sure am baby," Bevin replied, looping an arm around her fiancee's waist. She favored him with a smile before turning back to Brooke. "The best part is when Ah tell people!"

With that Bevin bounced off with Skillz in tow, leaving a confused Brooke in her wake. She shook her head and looked at Haley and Mouth,

"Woah-wait. What?"

"The crazy thing is she's the best investment banker in her firm," Mouth said, before excusing himself to grab another beer.

"Yeah, and don't feel bad about laughing. We all had that response," Haley said, grinning.

"Unbelievable. I'm gone for six years and Bevin becomes a genius," Brooke laughed. "So where are your kids tutor housewife? I want to meet my godson and miss Amalia. Who's Amalia's godparents, anyway?"

"Luke and Peyton," Haley replied as though it was kind of obvious.

"Oh, well that makes sense," Brooke shrugged. "So you guys are all pretty close huh?"

"Peyton is one of my best friends, now. We have keys to each other's houses….um and the kids," she said changing the subject, seeing Brooke's discomfort, "are probably on the other side of the yard with Deb and the other kids."

"Deb? How is she doing?"

"You know what? She's fabulous. She's off the sauce, actually still lives with us, and I know for the first couple years of Nathan and I's marriage she was like the mother in law from hell but now we're actually friends. She's great with the kids and the kids love her, which is great so I can keep working and-" Haley stopped mid-babble, realizing Brooke's attention was across the yard. "You have stopped listening to me," she finished. Brooke _had_ stopped listening. The crowd of people seemed to part and all of a sudden she caught sight of him standing by the grill with Nathan and another dark haired man whose face she couldn't see.

He was wearing his hair clean and short these days, much the way it was when she broke up with him for the last time, except darker. He wore old denim jeans and a simple blue cotton tee shirt that looked comfortable and hugged his chest in all the right places. As she watched him throw his head back and laugh at something Nathan said, she saw he hadn't lost any of the boyish charm that made her fall in love with him in the first place. No, there was still that boyishness to his face and his demeanor, but the boy-man had become a full fledged man. There was none of that confused teenaged angst in his eyes. The brooding eyes had given way to a peace she knew he'd been searching for. He had apparently found it. Peace looked good on him….damn good.

"Um Brooke?" Haley called, glancing in the direction Brooke's stare was and then back at the brunette who was now looking at her. "Are we going to have to talk about this?"

Brooke paused and painted an innocent face on. "Talk about what?"

"Okay, well either you really, really want a hamburger, or you're staring at Nathan thinking about making sex-tape number two, in which case you and I will have to fight, or it's Jake in which case you should know he's married now to a fiesty redhead who _will_ actually kill you-"

"Wait," Brooke cut Haley off and peered closer trying to get a better look. "Jake Jagielski?"

"Yes, and don't change the subject. If it's not hamburgers or Nathan or Jake, then…it's Luke, in which case we have a huge problem."

Brooke rolled her eyes and put her full attention on the woman in front of her.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Haley asked with concern.

"No it's not," Brooke replied firmly. "I haven't seen any of you guys in years and that includes Lucas. It's just memories, you know. He just looks so different."

"He's happy," Haley said simply. Brooke looked at her feet and nodded a bit.

"Good," Brooke said, forcing a smile. "Yeah don't worry. It's just-It's just memories."

"Well I hope they're all good memories," a voice said behind her. She spun around and stared in surprise.

"Luke!" She cried wondering how he'd materialized in front of her so quickly.

"Hey cheery," he greeted her warmly with one of his old nicknames for her before pulling her into a big hug. Brooke tried to slow her quickening heart as she was momentarily pressed against the warmth of his chest, which felt more muscular than she remembered it to be.

He pulled back to smile down at his ex-girlfriend. She looked the same, he decided. Her hair was a bit shorter and her eyes were decidedly more adult, less flirtatious, but she was still the same breathtaking Brooke Davis. The most beautiful woman you'd ever have the pleasure to see close up, dimples and all.

"Hey broody. You didn't come say hi to me right away. I thought you didn't like me anymore," she pouted a bit and Lucas chuckled. Maybe the flirt wasn't completely gone.

"Well, it was kinda hard to get near you, what with the old cheer leading squad and basket ball team pressing in around you," Lucas joked.

"So how the hell are you? How's New York?"

"Well," Brooke chuckled sardonically, all too aware of Haley stare on her. "Just a lot of work on my fashion line which is doing really well. I haven't exactly changed the world yet."

Lucas smiled softly, bowing his head. "You remember."

"Of course I do," Brooke replied, meaningfully, looking up into his eyes. She felt her heart begin to beat faster as he smiled back at her.

"I'm going to check on the kids." Haley said, looking back and forth between the two. Her eyes settled on Brooke who shook her head slightly, feeling like her moment with Lucas was broken. She smiled innocently at Haley. "I'll catch up more with you later tutor wife." She gave Haley a placating look.

"Hey Hales, can you make sure my mom and Larry aren't stuffing Anna and William with cake," Lucas asked, placing a hand on her arm before she could leave.

"No problem, but I can't promise you that if they pout at me I won't give them a cookie myself."

"Well then you'll be the person we call when they're bouncing off the walls at eleven thirty," he replied with a cocked eyebrow. In reply, Haley stuck her tongue out at him before she walked away.

When she was gone, Brooke glanced back at Lucas who was wearing a pleasant smile and whose steady stare was on her. She cleared her throat and gestured towards him, feeling herself starting to blush,

"Well what about you! Writing novels has always been your dream and now look at you!"

Lucas's smile grew bigger and he nodded a bit bashfully. "I am most definitely living my dream," he replied, thinking of his family. Brooke returned the smile, enthusiastically.

"You write for a paper too, right?"

"Yeah, I freelance on the side, but I might hang back on that a bit. The books take me away from Peyt and the kids as it is with book tours and stuff. I worked out a deal with my agent about that so I'm not away so much, but it's still hard. Finishing them is always bittersweet because I may have to leave soon for a tour."

"Oh-yeah…so-your family-kids-I met um-I met Anna and she's…really, really beautiful Luke."

Lucas's face beamed with pride at the thought of his daughter. "Thank you. She's got a little too much sass for her own good, but we all love her. Did you notice how much she looks like Peyton?"

"Um, yeah-how old is she?" Brooke broke in.

"She just turned four three months ago. Between my mom, Larry, Nathan, Haley, Peyton and I, we managed to spoil the hell out of her that day."

"Sounds like every little girl's dream," Brooke replied, wondering if she should broach the subject of Peyton. She wasn't sure if Peyton had told Lucas about seeing her at the beach the day before or if Peyton told him the reason they no longer spoke. If she had told him, Lucas was doing a good job pretending he was clueless…and like he couldn't wait to get away. He had begun looking at his watch every once and awhile like he had somewhere better to be.

"So are you about to catch a flight, Broody?"

"Oh, no," he chuckled, having the grace to look embarrassed. He didn't feel comfortable telling her that it was nearing a new hour and he had to go find Peyton to continue the 'hourly love fest' as Haley had begun to call it.

It was no secret that he was very amorous when it came to Peyton, sending her flowers on random days, leaving love notes on their bathroom mirror. But he'd been told more than once that he could also be incredibly cheesy when it came to her. He was proud of his cheesiness, but then he remembered what Peyton had told him about Brooke and although he didn't want to believe it was true, he thought it best not to put his cheesiness or his romancing on display.

"I'm-Peyton and I-Have you seen Peyton yet?" He asked changing the subject.

"Oh, um-no," Brooke replied furrowing her eyebrows. Maybe Peyton hadn't told him about seeing them at the beach. "I haven't seen her at all."

"Don't be nervous. I know she's looking forward to seeing you," Lucas said, already edging away. "Let me go find her for you. I'll be right back."

"No, you don't have to," Brooke tried to say, shaking her head.

"No it's fine!" He called from practically halfway across the yard. "I'll find her for you!"

Brooke stood more than a little confused for a moment, before running after him, weaving in an out of people. She didn't want to have to give up her time with Lucas, without Peyton so easily.

"Luke!"

She caught sight of him once more, running to catch up, but stopped short. A little ways passed him Haley was talking to Peyton. She watched Lucas walk purposefully towards the two.

Meanwhile Haley had found Peyton, feigning interest in a veggie platter after checking on the kids.

"I know there's a reason you haven't talked to her yet Peyton," Haley was saying. "I thought you were okay with her being here."

"I guess I jumped the gun on that one. I'm sure it will be fine. I just need to, you know, mentally prepare myself or something." Peyton replied, shrugging. "And I missed her. I did."

"She seems to have missed everyone," Haley tried. "Look Lucas told me that you saw her at the beach yesterday."

"He did?" Peyton sighed. "Did he also tell you the reason Brooke and I no longer speak?"

"No and he said he wasn't going to, but Brooke is tense about seeing you and you are obviously tense about seeing her. I know it has something to do with Lucas and if you don't want to tell me-"

"Wait. How do you know it has to do with Lucas," Peyton asked, indignantly in much the same manner Lucas had asked earlier. Haley rolled her eyes.

"Because it's just as I told Lucas earlier. When it comes to you two fighting, it always has to do with Lucas."

Peyton had to give her that one. They'd never fought so much before Lucas had entered their lives. "You can't go spreading this around, but you know when Lucas came to visit me in LA?"

"Yeah, the single most romantic thing I think he has _ever_ done," Haley sighed.

"Well, a week after he left Brooke told me she was still in love with him. Like she wanted him back or something! Like I was just supposed to hand him over." Peyton crossed her arms and huffed.

"Um…wow," Haley murmured. She wasn't too surprised. Brooke had put on a good show, but it was obvious that she hadn't gotten over the brooding blonde.

"So what happened?"

"Nothing. It all just-it fizzled. We just stopped talking one day," Peyton replied looking away. She shrugged and looked back at Haley.

"Yesterday when I saw her she looked disappointed, maybe even jealous."

"Do you think maybe you were just imagining it?" Haley asked, hopefully. She was really playing the devil's advocate here. She'd seen the way Brooke was looking at Lucas earlier and it worried her. "Maybe she's just sad that she doesn't have your kind of happiness yet."

Peyton nodded, contemplatively. Brooke had spent most of her life searching for something her parents had both failed to give and took away from her. "Maybe," she shrugged. "I don't want to think this way, Hales. I missed her and I don't want think she isn't happy for me or begrudges my happiness. But I won't apologize for it either," she finished in a small voice.

"And you shouldn't have to," Haley said firmly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, she has missed you. I know she has and for now I say we take Lucas's advice and give her the benefit of the doubt."

Peyton nodded and Haley smiled reassuringly. "So, she's apparently staying at a hotel and I was thinking of inviting her to stay with Nate, the kids, and I until she makes definite plans."

Peyton furrowed her brows, "Plans like what?" Peyton's words were cut off as Lucas marched up to her, gently grabbed her face with his hands and with an "excuse me" thrown in Haley's direction swept Peyton up in a passionate kiss...complete with borderline 'porn tongue'.

Haley rolled her eyes as she watched the two, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. No, they weren't leaving that honeymoon stage anytime soon.

"I'm still standing here you know," she said. It was a common line she and Nathan used when Peyton and Lucas began getting…affectionate.

Ignoring her as he always did, Lucas moaned and pulled away a bit to grin at his wife. "Guess what," he whispered.

Peyton couldn't resist. "Chicken butt?" They shared a giggle, before Lucas Eskimo kissed her. It was a signature move on his part.

"I love you," he whispered, ignoring the exaggerated gagging Haley was doing. "Is it getting annoying yet?"

Peyton cupped his cheeks with her hands and smiled. "Hearing that from you will never get annoying, baby. And I love you too."

They shared a final kiss and separated, both of them turning innocently back to Haley. "You know I'm really surprised you haven't knocked her up more than twice Luke," Haley joked.

"I could say the same thing about you and Nathan," Lucas teased back.

"Hey, wasn't Brooke with you?" Haley asked looking around her.

"Oh!" Lucas turned around to look for Brooke and then glanced at Peyton who merely raised an eyebrow, noncommittally. "I um-left her back there somewhere. It was nearing the hour so I kind of sorta ditched her."

"Lucas! You just left her there?" Haley cried. "Did you at least tell her why?"

"Well, I did tell her I was going to go find you," he explained looking pointedly at Peyton. "Which I did," he went on, before leaning in to kiss her nose. "I told her I'd bring you back….if she's still there."

"You're an asshole," Peyton laughed and he shrugged.

"I'm a romantic asshole."

* * *

Brooke stumbled back from whence she came, deciding to head towards the house. There was no denying the jealousy and sting of pain she felt seeing Lucas pull Peyton into that kiss. She hadn't thought about him in years, or at least she tried not to, but now all the feelings came flooding back.

"Dammit," she murmured. Coming back here was a horrible idea and what was worse, she had yet to face Peyton and she wasn't sure how that would go at all.

As she neared the house a voice stopped her and she turned.

"Jake!" Brooke threw her arms around the taller man who hugged her back in turn.

"How you doin' Davis?"

"I'm pretty good, Jagielski. A few more of these and I'll be fantastic," she said, gratefully taking the beer he handed her.

"I um, couldn't help but see you watching Peyton and Lucas and I figured you'd need a drink."

Brooke looked away and took a long swig of her beer, wondering how they had all reached this point.

"How are you here?" Brooke blurted. Jake only looked taken aback for a moment before he looked at her knowingly.

"It's weird isn't it? The two exes."

"Yeah. I mean, the last time I heard about you, Peyton had come back from seeing you and decided she was in love with my boyfriend. Now you're at a cookout with them."

"We are pretty close. So how's the big apple treating you, Davis?" Jake was well known for changing the subject abruptly. Brooke mentally regained her footing a moment later and smiled, faintly.

"Oh, the city and I are fine," Brooke chuckled. They walked a short ways to some chairs and sat. "It's Chase and I that are not. It's kinda why I'm here."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jake replied. "Was it a mutual thing?"

"No," Brooke murmured. "Not really. I worked a lot."

Brooke thought about the night Chase packed his bags. The sad look on his face and the look of defeat. He had tried so hard to make her happy.

"He said-he said that I was still waiting on something, that I continually kept him at a distance and that he was tired of waiting for me."

"I'm sorry," Jake said genuinely. "I know how that feels." And Brooke knew he did. It was why she chose him to confide in about Chase.

"I lost myself."

"I know how that feels too," Jake laughed, lightly. He took a sip of his beer and looked down at Brooke. "But home has a way of fixing what the soul needs. You know?"

"Um, I guess. I didn't realize you were a poet now."

"Hangin around Luke too much," Jake shrugged with a laugh. Brooke looked over at him with interest.

"Yeah, I saw you with him. How did _that_ happen?"

"What, you mean how did I end up friends with guy who was essentially my rival? I moved home with Jenny five years ago for a better job and to be closer to my parents. They were together. I won't lie, for a long time it killed me to see them together, but I'd never seen Peyton so genuinely happy in all the years that I'd known her. I just wanted to see her happy."

He paused, catching sight of the curly haired blonde and glanced at Brooke, who'd seen her too.

"I didn't go to the reception, after their wedding. Just because I wanted her happy didn't mean I needed to watch them together. I'm a nice guy but I'm no saint. Anyway, Peyton has an art gallery down town and I was walking by one day and I was just drawn inside. Peyton was on her honeymoon at the time. That's where I met Molly, my wife, who you'll meet later. She and Peyton are really good friends and they work there together. I didn't think I'd ever find someone to love the way I loved Peyton, but Molly taught me how."

"I'm glad you found that Jake. I thought you and Peyton would end up together in the end."

Jake smiled and shook his head. "No you didn't. Hoping and thinking are two different things. I'd hoped that Peyton and I would end up together too, but I knew that wasn't the way it would be. Some things are just meant to happen, you know?"

"I don't believe in destiny anymore," Brooke said quietly. Watching Peyton, who now had her son, swinging in her arms.

"You don't have to," Jake replied, placing a hand on Brooke's. "It finds you."

He watched Brooke watch Peyton and sighed inwardly. He might have to have a talk with Haley about this, if she wasn't already clued in on this.

"Have you talked to her yet?" He asked and she knew he was talking about Peyton.

"No, but she hasn't spoken to me either. It's a two way street."

"She's missed you a lot."

"I know. I know and I missed her too, It's just….I didn't know if we could be friends with him between us."

Jake looked at her and then back at Peyton who was swaying back and forth with William to the music coming from the stereo system just inside. His little head on her shoulder, chubby arms wrapped around her neck, curly blonde head pressed to curly blonde head.

"Six years ago," Jake prodded. Peyton's eyes were shut, but they opened and locked onto someone that made her smile. Jake knew who that smile was for and glanced quickly back at Brooke, as a smiling Lucas walked up to Peyton and wrap his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against hers.

Jake knew the look because he'd worn the same one the day he came back to Tree Hill and ran into Peyton and Lucas, laughing and walking hand in hand out of the record store.

"You didn't know they were still together did you. When you came back."

Brooke shook her head. "No."

"You were hoping they weren't though."

Brooke didn't reply. Watching them now was just as painful as it was watching them yesterday. They never broke eye contact as they swayed to the music with their son tucked securely between them. Lucas Eskimo kissed her, making her smile and then the whispered words she knew were "I love you" from across the yard. She looked away when their lips gently interlocked.

She was vaguely annoyed that they didn't seem to mind sharing intimate moments in public, especially since they knew she was there. This was a very different Lucas and Peyton than she was used to.

"This is obviously crazy though right? I haven't seen him in six years. It's just memories getting the better of me…or something." She shook her head and looked back at the couple. Anna had stuck herself between her parents and was holding onto Lucas's legs.

"How can you watch this and not have it hurt?" Brooke looked back at Jake. "Those are the loves of our lives."

"Because I'm not in love with Peyton anymore," he replied, eyeing the brunette. "She might have been the love of my life but I wasn't the love of hers."

Brooke sighed and looked at her empty beer bottle. "I need to drink more."

She got up and made her way to the bar and Haley filled her empty seat after a few moments.

"Well?" She asked. Jake sighed.

"We got trouble."


	8. Chapter 8

**Say what? Two updates in two days? Oh no she didn't! What can I say? The reviews were so great I had to give you guys another chapter...remember this when I'm up to my eyeballs in 400 level courses in the fall and I can't update for weeks and weeks and months. I'm sorry in advance. tear**

**PS-If you haven't seen Half Nelson with Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps, I highly recommend it. Ryan's performance is breathtaking. **

"Where's your friend mommy?" Anna asked from her place in between her parents. She craned her neck backwards to look up at Peyton.

"Which friend, baby?" Peyton asked, as Lucas picked the little girl up to save her neck from the straining.

"You know!" Anna cried, throwing her arms out dramatically. "Daddy's old one, but she's not old cos dat means you just knowed her long time ago. Uncold Nathan says so."

Lucas looked at Peyton and shrugged, knowing she was talking about Brooke. They had looked for her earlier, a half hearted attempt on Peyton's part, but couldn't find her. "I don't know baby girl," Peyton replied, truthfully.

"She finks I'm beautiful," Anna grinned up at Lucas and he smiled. Anyone who thought Anna was beautiful was alright in the little girl's book.

"That's because you are beautiful my princess," he replied, kissing her cheeks. Anna smiled sweetly and ordered,

"Spin me Daddy!" Lucas stepped back from Peyton and William and did as asked, making the little girl cackle as she leaned her head back.

Peyton watched them with a smile, still cradling William's head on her shoulder. She and Brooke had managed to keep out of each other's presence for a full two hours. She couldn't fathom how. Nor could she deny the nervousness of seeing her. They had been actively avoiding each other for the most part and she knew it. She thought there had to be a reason why.

"Ma," William whispered, snuffling against her shoulder. Peyton turned her head and kissed his neck.

"What is it baby?" Peyton asked, knowing whatever answer he tried to give her would not be understandable. She patted his bottom and found it had grown slightly bigger.

"Somebody needs a diaper change," she whispered. "Luke."

Lucas, who had been bouncing around in circles with a squealing Anna, stopped to look at Peyton.

"What's up baby?"

"Diaper run," she called, patting William's bottom.

"Want me to do it?" he asked walking towards her.

"No, I got it, Luke." she replied, smiling down at Anna. "Stay here and dance with your daughter."

"I've got you next," he called, lifting a corner of his mouth in a lazy smile. Peyton looked over her shoulder, turned and walked back to her husband and leaned in so her lips touched his earlobe.

"Always," she whispered. She pulled back to find him gazing at her happily.

"You know we have another forty-three minutes till the next hour but-"

"I know. I love you too, Mr. Scott." They shared a peck and she turned back in the direction of the house. She smiled when she heard Anna saying, "How bout me Daddy? You love me?" and Lucas's reply she knew was a big messy kiss to her neck, because she heard the girl start giggling maniacally.

She walked inside, picking up William's diaper bag by the door and found a spot in the sun room. She sat him down next to her and began digging through the forest green Eddie Bauer bag for diapers and powder.

When they got pregnant with Anna and they were shopping for things like strollers and diaper bags, Lucas and Peyton both agreed on items that weren't, as Peyton put it, 'cutsified'. It was neither of their style and "a mockery to Lucas's manhood". Whenever they'd used that line, Lucas would beat his chest Tarzan style to highlight their point.

"Come here, bugger," Peyton cooed standing the baby in front of her. She took off his overalls and quickly changed his wet diaper, thankful that he was staying still for her this time. He was sleepy and would probably be ready for a nap very soon.

She stood him up when she was finished and he toddled off, ignoring her call for him to wait. When William had places to go, he had places to go and there was no stopping him.

"William Keith Fitzgerald Scott!" Peyton wasn't usually a 'use their entire name' kind of mom, but Haley had plants around that would be massacred if she didn't get his attention. She scrambled to her feet and looked around to find the baby was nowhere in sight. "Shit!"

She walked through the kitchen and to the family room. She wasn't sure what the appeal was to her son, but since he started walking it seemed he had an affinity for killing plants. William got into everything, but six dead house plants later she knew where he liked to get into the most trouble. Aside from that he'd left a trail. He'd stopped long enough to kick off his little sandals just outside the kitchen. William hated shoes and socks too.

"William!" She stopped short of the family room peeking in when she heard the murmuring of a familiar voice.

Brooke looked up at Peyton with surprise and slowly rose from her kneeling position. Neither of them said anything for a long time, facing off much in the same fashion as they had at the beach a day before. William took off towards Haley's fern and Peyton kicked into Mommy mode and quickly headed him off.

"Oh no you don't ya little plant killer." She scooped him up quickly, swinging him up in her arms. She pointed to the fern and shook her head, "No."

William looked down at the plant and then back up at his mother with serious, blue Scott eyes. "Ma!" He pointed to his conquest and Peyton shook her head again, aware of Brooke's presence in the room.

"Nothin' doin', kid," she muttered, before glancing up at the brunette.

"Um, I uh just came in to clear my head," Brooke said, trying to read Peyton's mood. "It's sorta crazy out there you know?"

"Yeah, wait till the kids get put to bed. You don't know from crazy," Peyton replied, good naturedly, nodding her head for no reason, as she usually did when she was uncomfortable.

"So who's this?" Brooke asked gesturing to William. She already knew his name and exactly who he was, but it was all she could come up with.

"Um, this is William Keith Fitzgerald Scott," Peyton replied, looking down at the baby who at the moment seemed too tired to fight her. At Brook's raised eyebrow Peyton shrugged. "Lucas named him…after-"

"His favorite authors," they both said at the same time. Peyton nodded shifting uncomfortably. Brooke cleared her throat, feeling she might have spoken out of turn.

"Um, How old is he?"

"Fourteen months," Peyton replied, moving to sit down with the suddenly snoring baby.

"Oh. I met Anna too," Brooke offered, sitting gingerly on the opposite end of the couch. Peyton's lips lifted in a tiny smile and Brooke sighed, turning away. This isn't awkward at all, she thought.

Brooke began looking at the pictures on the mantle once again. It was what she was doing before William had scurried in. There were many of both family and friends. There was a cute one of Nathan and Lucas both holding their daughters at Christmas and another one with Peyton and Haley holding their sons and one with all of them together. There was one of Haley and Peyton pregnant and making faces at the camera. One of Lily and Karen, Deb with her grandchildren Skills, Bevin, Mouth, Jake and his family were even tucked in there. She had missed so much and for that she regretted being away.

She stood back up and walked over to the mantle, looking at all the photographs, sad that she wasn't in any of them. She stopped on a family photo of Lucas and Peyton with their children, professionally done. They are sitting outside on a picnic blanket, huddled together wearing jeans and tee shirts, and grinning at each other. Brooke thought for a moment what it would be like if it was her in those photos instead of Peyton, but only for a moment.

She couldn't think those thoughts. Not with Peyton behind her, holding her son. Her son who looked like the man she realized today she couldn't seem to let go of. She didn't know if Peyton could see it. The pain of her being here watching Lucas kiss his wife, watching Lucas adore his wife. She had realized today, and it had come with startling clarity, why Chase had left her.

She had been living by the old saying that if you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. She knew there was more, but she hadn't been concerned with the rest. She was still waiting for him to come back…

And while she had been waiting for him, Chase was growing impatient with waiting for the rest of her heart and Lucas Scott, the love of her life, was making a life and a family with the love of his.

Perhaps she could try. Perhaps she could salvage something.

"Peyton," she said, pausing, because she realized it was the first time she'd said her name in five years. "Mm, about yesterday at the beach. I-

"She's four." Brooke looked back at Peyton who had been watching the war within her for some time.

"What?"

"Anna. She's four and she has her father wrapped around her finger. She has Nathan and my dad on just as short a leash. They can't say no to her. And she's always hungry even though she is this tiny little thing. My Dad says I was the same way."

"Why are you-" But Peyton continued as though she hadn't spoke, her voice soft and hypnotic.

"She laughs like her daddy who she worships. She and Lucas have the same laugh and the same birthmark on their left knees. When she turned three there was a seven month period where she did nothing but follow him around. We called her his little shadow and he wrote his third novel with her sitting in his lap staring at him and he dedicated the book to her. She loves to read and to color and she loves to sing. Luke and I, you know neither of us can carry a tune to save our lives, but she has a very sweet voice. But maybe I'm impartial. I was in labor with her for forty-seven hours and I've never felt physical pain like that before or since. Not even with William who was three weeks late."

She turned to Brooke lifting a small corner of her mouth in a wry smile. "They had to scheduled to induce me after Lucas came back from California, but my water broke two days before and Lucas took the Red eye home as fast as he could. Lucas delivered both of our children. I think that's why they all adore the hell out of each other. William began walking early, because he had places to go. He loves to take naps in people's arms and we let him, because he's always going and won't let anyone hold him for long. He's happy and carefree, but his eyes are very serious like his daddy's so people who don't know them think he's unhappy. He likes to pull up plants and play in the dirt, so my plants are all out of his reach. Lucas says William and I sleep the same. Sprawled out, yanking the covers and snoring with our mouths open."

Brooke cracked a small smile looking down at the baby whose little mouth was indeed hanging open and he was indeed snoring softly. She remembered being appalled the first time they shared a bed as children and she had let Peyton know she'd be hard pressed to find anyone to share a bed with later on.

"He was so excited to tell me. I went out of town once and Lucas called to ask me how to get gum out of hair. He'd given Anna, who was still three at the time gum and was trying to show her how to blow bubbles and ,as he explained it, William got too close and it all went to hell. I was so mad. I mean who gives a toddler gum? I came home and William and Anna's hair was all chopped up and patchy. I cried," she giggled at the memory and shook her head.

"I call Lucas Mr. Mommy because he cooks and stays home with the kids, since his work permits it and he calls me Mrs. Daddy because I leave with a briefcase every morning and well-I still can't cook."

Peyton sighed and looked up at Brooke who was staring back at her, unsure of what to make of the monologue Peyton had just given her. Peyton shrugged.

"They're my family, Brooke. I've never felt happiness like this. This is my family and I love them more than my life. I can't spend my time living in the past because I have too much at stake here in the present."

When Brooke didn't say anything, Peyton stood up to leave, having said her piece, but before she could take a step Brooke spoke up.

"Whatever else you may think….or I may feel….I did miss you P Sawyer. A lot." Peyton turned around and looked down at her ex-best friend. A woman who had cried with her and held her hand the day her mother died, a woman who gave her a second and third chance after breaking her heart, a woman she had missed so much she gave part of her name to her baby girl.

She didn't have a lot of regrets and she certainly didn't want Brooke to remain on that list when she didn't have to. The left corner of Peyton's mouth lifted and the other side joined it.

With misty eyes she replied, "I missed you too, B."


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you still in love with him?"

Brooke snapped her eyes up to Peyton's. "Wh-what?"

Peyton straightened up from her position leaning over the playpen. She had asked Brooke if she wanted to come with her while she put William, who was out for the count, down. She turned to glance at Brooke as she flipped on the baby monitor. "Chase," she clarified. "Are you still in love with him?"

Brooke sighed and thought about it. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "We spent a lot of time pretending everything was fine, you know? We barely fought. In fact we never fought. No we never fought, but I felt I was missing something. There was no passion. I miss that passion."

Peyton nodded, knowing what she said next might be reopening some unhealed wounds, but in truth she just needed Brooke to deny everything for her. She said quietly, "It must have been hard moving to New York with one man when you were in love with another. I'm surprised it lasted that long."

Brooke was immediately on guard. "What the hell is that supposed to mean," she shot. Peyton threw a finger to her lips and pointed at her sleeping son, before moving out of the bedroom and down the stairs with Brooke behind her.

"Sorry," Brooke murmured. "But what is that supposed to mean? That it's my fault Chase left me?"

"No! No, Brooke," Peyton cried. "It means exactly what it means. I didn't mean it in a cruel way Brooke. I swear. It's just. Are you surprised it didn't work? You were in love with someone else when you moved up there with Chase. Take it from the expert, you can't be with someone when you're in love with someone else. That's why Jake and I didn't work."

"And why Lucas and I never worked?" Brooke questioned, throwing Lucas's name in there, because Peyton wouldn't. It irked her that Peyton of all people was trying to give her relationship advice.

Peyton shrugged, refusing to get caught up in the past. It was a dangerous game they were playing on a very slippery slope, she knew. She wanted Brooke back in her life, but wanted to know exactly where she stood as well.

Brooke sighed and went on, "Yeah, well I'm not as lucky as you, P. There wasn't much I could do about the situation there could I," Brooke replied. Peyton frowned at the hint of bitterness she detected in the brunette's words. Brooke caught her frown and instantly checked herself.

Peyton wasn't trying to be mean or cruel. She was just trying to be helpful. Brooke herself truly wanted to forget all that drama and reclaim her friendship with Peyton.

"I'm sorry Peyton. It's just hard coming back home after your life has just fallen apart to find everyone here so blissfully happy…and different. I mean, Nathan is doing Whitey's job now, Haley's teaching, you're a _mom_." Brooke chuckled and looked over at her friend. "God I still can't believe you're a mom."

"A cool mom, too," Peyton grinned, the tension between them fizzling.

"Yes, I knew that the day you had children you would be the cool, converse wearing, paint splattered tee shirt and jeans mom. You've come a long way from coloring your baby doll's hair black," Brooke said quirking her lips.

"Oh God!" Peyton cried, covering her face with her hands, laughing. "I completely forgot about that! Well what about you, putting Betsy the doll outside on the porch because she'd been bad."

"God, I cried for an hour after I realized I'd left her out there all night in a storm and then her face-!" The two women doubled over in laughter. "It was completely gone!"

"And then I came over so we could give her a-"

"Facial!" Brooke exploded, setting Peyton off for another round of raucous laughter.

"Oh God, Peyton the face you painted back on that doll and the shape she was in was straight out of a horror movie," Brooke giggled. She sighed and smiled softly. "But I carried that doll around everywhere for three years."

Peyton smiled and looked over at Brooke, wondering briefly where all the ill feelings went. She quickly shook the thought off, happy that she had her B Davis back.

"Gosh, I missed this," Brooke smiled.

"Why didn't you say anything to us at the beach yesterday?" Peyton blurted it out, without thinking. She just need an answer to that before they could go forward.

Brooke was taken aback for a moment and then regained her composure. She leaned an elbow on the kitchen island and sighed.

"I just wasn't ready to see or talk to anyone yet. I was in shock. I didn't know you guys were married and the kids-well-It was a lot to process….And with the way you and I left things I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"Oh. So it wasn't-" Peyton shook her head. "I thought it had to do with….with Luke, but I guess it's silly to think you're still….Are you happy for me Brooke?" Peyton asked in a small voice. Brooke carefully masked her features and took Peyton's hand and smiled.

"Of course I am," she replied, knowing full well it was a partial lie, but she said it anyway, because it felt good to have her friend back.

Peyton nodded with a smile and decided to change the subject. Somewhere inside her Peyton detected Brooke's lie, but chose not to give any real thought to it because it felt good to have her friend back.

"So where have you been staying?"

"It's embarrassing, really. I'm staying at the motel."

"Brooke! High schoolers go there to loose their virginity on prom night. You are so staying with us."

Brooke's eyes snapped at her with near panic. If her reaction to watching Lucas and Peyton kiss was any indication she knew she couldn't let Peyton talk her into staying with them. The last thing she needed was to stay in the same house as Lucas and Peyton. Especially not with all the canoodling they seemed to enjoy. "Oh no, no, no. I don't want to impose on anybody. I don't even know how long I'm staying and my work."

"Well, can't you work from here?"

Dammit! "Well….yes, but-"

"Brooke you came home for a reason. You can't heal in a cheap motel-"

"Hey hey! Brooke Davis does not do cheap."

"Okay fine, you can't heal in a motel of questionable morals," Peyton amended. Brooke lowered the finger she'd been waving and nodded, shortly.

"Better."

"Look, Luke and I have a spare bedroom available-"

"I can't stay with you and Lucas, Peyton. It's not that I don't want to-" It's because I really, really don't want to and would rather die wearing polyester, Brooke thought. "It's just that…Haley already offered for me to stay with her and Nate, so I said yes. You know I need to bond with my godson."

"Oh! Perfect! Well, you know Haley is going to be nuts trying to keep you entertained."

"Regular Suzy home maker huh?" Brooke joked, hoping she could get to Haley before Peyton did.

"Yeah…..but a crazy one," Peyton grinned slyly. "Come on, Davis. This is a party and you aren't holding a drink."

"Hey! You're right! We've been in here for almost an hour and I'm bone dry. This is like a record or something."

"It's nice to see some things never change," Peyton laughed, throwing and arm around Brooke's neck.

They walked outside to find the party in full swing. Dusk was approaching and Nathan had turned on the white Christmas lights that were strung up around the yard. Music was pulsing, food was being devoured, drinks flowing, friends and family laughing merrymaking and enjoying each other's company.

The Scott family reunion wasn't the traditional family affair. To Nathan and Lucas, their friends were as good as family so every summer all their friends flocked back to Tree Hill for the annual get together.

"Oh! So I ran into Mr. Jagielski a little while ago. I never thought I'd see the day when you two could exist on the same plane drama free," Brooke said.

"Yeah, I know. It was really awkward for awhile when he came back because of Luke and I…" Peyton glanced at Brooke and shrugged. "You know. Anyway, now he has Molly. Have you met Molly?"

"No. You work with her right?"

"Yeah. We call her the voice of reason. She's the fiery, Irish, red-head over there. You wanna meet her?"

"Yes, but you know," she said, catching sight of Haley. "Let me go get myself a drink. I'll come find you. Do you need anything?"

"Nope. I'm good," Peyton replied.

"Okay. I'll be back!" Brooke darted off. She scurried over to where Haley stood with a glass of wine in one hand, the other wrapped around her husband.

"Tutor spouses!" The two pulled away from each other to look at Brooke.

"Oh hey Brooke. Have you found Peyton yet?" Haley asked.

"Yes-yes it's all dandy. Great actually. Can I live with you guys for awhile?"

"Huh?" Nathan's face held a look of befuddlement after each word raced out of Brooke's mouth at such a speed he could only decipher the word 'actually' and 'awhile'. Haley on the other hand nodded excitedly at her fellow fast talker.

"Of course you can Brooke! You can stay as long as you need! What sealed the deal?"

"Peyton." Brooke shrugged at Haley's raised eyebrows. "I really, really missed her and as they say in that long movie with the awesome shoes, there's no place like home."

"I'm really glad you talked to her Brooke."

"Yeah me too. Maybe we can make it work this time. Oh and if anyone, _anyone _asks, you invited me to stay with you."

"We were planning on asking you to stay with us," Nathan clarified. Brooke nodded in applause.

"Very good Tutor husband!"

"No really. We were. Right Hales?" As Haley started to nod affirmatively Brooke waved her hand.

"Okay no need to over do it basketball boy. Hey can you be a lamb and get me a margarita? Thanks." She turned her full attention to Haley and Nathan walked off shaking his head ruefully.

"So everything is really okay? I mean you and Peyton talked about….you know what happened?"

Brooke blinked at Haley and drew her face closer to hers. "Peyton told you what happened?"

"Well, yeah it wasn't really rocket science. I sort of figured it had to do with Lucas."

Brooke crossed her arms indignantly. "Why would you assume it had to do with Luke?"

"Because it's always about Luke," Haley sighed for the third time that day. Brooke uncrossed her arms and shrugged, giving in.

"Yeah I'll give you that."

"But everything is fine between you two?" Haley asked once again. From what Jake had told her earlier it seemed Brooke Davis was not quite as over Lucas Scott as people hoped she'd be. She had been worried about what would happen when the two ex best friends finally came face to face.

"Yeah, you know it didn't really hit me how much I missed her friendship until we were talking and joking around again."

"Good! I'm glad," Haley sighed. "You know," she started, thinking of Nathan who liked to accuse her of becoming a busy body. "Peyton thought you were jealous or not happy for her or something," Haley explained, nonchalantly. She looked at Brooke for her response.

"No, no, no. I'm happy for her," Brooke grinned, realizing how good she was getting at lying about this. Haley smiled, still unsure.

"We want you happy too, Brookie monster," she said wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Yeah," she whispered back catching sight of Lucas once again. It's just residual feelings, she told herself. She hadn't seen him in a very long time and the last time she did see him she had had these strong feelings. It was only natural she would have this reaction to him, she rationalized.

She tilted her head furrowed her brows. Was he wearing glasses?

Review please


	10. Chapter 10

"Mr. Scott," Peyton called. "Are those glasses you're wearing or are you just happy to see me?" When Peyton had caught sight of her husband she immediately felt herself getting hot and bothered. It was a strange fetish if you could call it that since she didn't find glasses nearly this sexy on anyone but her husband. She bit her lip and smiled as he bowed his head and lifted his lips in a sexy smirk.

Lucas turned from Mouth and Molly to the owner of the voice who stood five feet away from him taking in her denim clad hips and simple black tank top and wished once again that everyone there would disappear so he could take her right then and there.

"Yes….and yes," he replied, looking up at her through the wire frames.

"Uh oh," Molly muttered playfully, grabbing Mouth's arm and stepping back a bit. Molly knew about the 'glasses effect' as she and Haley had dubbed it, and had bore witness to their incredible powers before. It was so amazing how much they turned Peyton on it was actually a bit hilarious.

"I knew he wasn't wearing those for us," she sighed with a smile as Peyton took a running leap into Lucas's waiting arms. She squealed happily as he spun her around.

"I talked to her Luke," she said happily. Lucas smiled at seeing her so happy.

"Good, baby. I'm so glad. How'd it go?"

"It went really well," Peyton grinned, playing with the soft hairs on the back of Lucas's neck. Lucas nodded and kissed her nose.

"Good. I figured you were with her, since I couldn't find you," he finished his sentence with a kiss to her jaw. Peyton tilted her head and pouted.

"Oh. We missed our hour," she said disappointedly. She perked up again and lifted the corner of her mouth in a seductive smirk and leaned into his ear. "Let me make it up to you," she whispered, taking the fleshy lobe between her teeth and tugging.

Lucas felt his body immediately respond to Peyton's request and pulled back to set smoldering eyes on her. "How were you planning on doing that?"

Smiling, Peyton tugged on his arm and he followed her, leaving a red faced Mouth and a laughing Molly behind them.

Peyton pulled him to the side of the house, pressed him up against the brick, between the bushes and kissed him hungrily. Their lips parted from one another with wet smacks, only to delve back in again with vigor at different angles.

He kissed her back with just as much fervor, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and burying his fingers into her hair, moaning. God, he wanted her so badly right now. He wanted to burying himself inside her and wrap her around him so neither knew where one ended and the other began.

While Peyton's hands traveled lower and she unzipped his pants, he wished once again for practicality's sake that she would have worn a skirt or a dress.

It just would have made life easier if all he had to deal with was undergarments. Had she done as he'd begged her to earlier then he would have had her up against this wall every chance he got and in seconds. That's how badly he wanted her and like his glasses strangely turned her on, her legs had the same effect on him. He just couldn't think straight when those long limbs were in front of him. But as much as he would have liked to fuck his wife outside, up against Nathan and Haley's house, he knew Peyton had something else in mind and man did he love it when she took control. He found it insanely sexy when Peyton told him what to do.

Peyton slipped her hand in his boxer and grabbed hold of him. He pulled his mouth away from hers specifically to moan his approval. Lucas wasn't an exhibitionist by any means, but he also was not one who liked to exercise any sort of patience or restraint when it came to putting his hands on Peyton Sawyer.

"Peyt," he whispered in anticipation. She merely licked her lips and smiled. She wished they were in their bedroom where they had more time, more time to touch and be touched and luxuriate in each other's presence. But stolen moments like this only made their uninterrupted moments alone all the better. She knew later that night when they finally found themselves alone he would absolutely ravish her.

"Let me show you," she replied huskily, getting down on her knees. She paused before taking him into her mouth and looked up at him, panting above her. "And Luke?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Keep your glasses on."

**Don't lie...If Lucas Scott was your man you'd do it too...lol!**


	11. Chapter 11

"So I hear you're gonna be sticking around for awhile."

Brooke blinked, tearing her eyes away from the direction she saw Peyton drag Lucas in and smiled at Jake. Nodding she replied, "Yep. Gonna see if home really can fix what the soul needs or whatever it is you said."

"Jake, darlin' are you waxing poetic again," came an Irish accent. Brooke turned around to see a stunning freckled woman with long amber red hair and dancing green eyes approach. She assumed this must be Molly and when Jake took hold of her hand and leaned in to kiss her she knew she was right.

"Molly O'Leary Jagielski this is Brooke Davis. Brooke this is my wife, Molly," Jake introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Brooke smiled, shaking the taller woman's delicate little hands.

"It's great to finally meet you. I was beginning to think everyone had made you up," Molly said, elbowing Jake in the ribs lightly.

"You can't make up Brooke Davis," Jake replied, winking at Brooke. Brooke laughed throwing her hands on her hips.

"Jake I can't believe you're flirting with me in front of your wife. Shame on you," she chastised, jokingly.

"God, why am I having flashbacks of junior year parties," Jake chuckled.

"Oh leave her alone," Molly laughed. "So Brooke, how long are you in Tree Hill for?"

"Indefinitely," Haley replied for Brooke, as she and Nathan joined the group with Skillz, Bevin, and Mouth.

"What she said," Brooke nodded, throwing an arm around Haley's neck. "I'm Haley and Nate's new house guest!"

"Well I guess better you two than the other Scott's then with all the shagging they do it would be like staying in a motel," Molly said good naturedly, getting laughs from everyone there, but Brooke who smiled uncomfortably and Jake who was watching Brooke's reaction.

"Hey do you guys realize we haven't all been together like this since high school ended?"

And there it was. Everyone looked around at each other and smiled at Bevin's words. Every once and awhile Bevin would surprise you and say something poignant.

"All we're missing is Rachel," Mouth murmured.

"Actually," Brooke spoke up. "I know where our favorite red headed slut is. She lives in New York. She actually works at an ad agency if you can believe it."

"What?!" Mouth, Haley, and Nathan cried.

"Sorry. She couldn't get away from work or she'd be here with me, but I know she misses you guys."

"Well what was her reason for staying away?" Haley asked, adding sarcastically in her mind, _was she in love with Lucas too_?

"She worked really hard to get to where she is. I'm really proud of her actually. There's no big secret or scandal. She's just a work horse now with no time for anything. She's still single too I believe," Brooke added, glancing at Mouth and elbowing him non too subtly in the ribs.

"Anyway," Haley laughed at Mouth's red face. "Aside from Rachel we _are_ all together again and I say that deserves a toast," Haley declared.

"Hold up," Skillz said. "We can't toast about us all bein' here together without the other Scotts."

"Oh yeah where's Luke and Peyton?" Haley asked looking around the yard. Mouth and Brooke turned red and Molly started chuckling.

"They may be making their own toast," Molly said settling herself in Jake's lap.

"Oh you've gotta' be kidding me," Haley cried, as Nathan started laughing along with Molly. "Honestly those two are like farm animals! What the hell," Haley huffed.

"I think it's cute what he's doing," Molly declared. "Our own husbands should take note. Except for you darling," she whispered leaning in to nuzzle Jake's nose with her own freckled one. Jake grinned back and captured her lips with his own in a sweet kiss and winked.

"Thank you baby," he cooed.

"Yeah," Haley said putting hands on hips and glaring up at Nathan.

"Hey, I do all sorts of romantic things for you, baby." Haley instantly broke into a grin and leaned up to kiss him.

"Yeah, you do," she amended.

"Plus, every hour? Who the hell has that kind of time?"

Haley smacked him, laughing as the rest of the men joined in the laughter.

"Way to ruin the moment, Nate," Jake grinned.

"Wait am I missing something?" Mouth asked, confused.

"Luke has been telling Peyton he loves her every hour on the dot," Jake explained, glancing at Brooke who was studying her shoes. Brooke was fighting to control the sick feeling hearing that caused.

"Again…who has that kind of time!" Nathan grinned, spreading his hands.

"Well, Luke makes time. That guy'll be talkin' to you one minute and the next he's gone looking for curly," Skillz said, nailing the final nail in the coffin for both Brooke who suddenly realized why Lucas had ditched her so suddenly, and for Jake.

"Hey Nate you guys up for a picnic in the park tomorrow?"

Everyone turned to look at Jake who had decided to change the subject before Brooke burst into tears or threw up everywhere.

"Um, wow, Jake," Nathan murmured. "When Molly said more romance I think she meant with her, not me. Although I'm flattered, man. Really."

"No dude. I mean with the kids and Brooke. I don't work tomorrow. Maybe we could all go down to the beach," he suggested looking around and smiling at Brooke who smiled gratefully at him.

"That sounds like a great idea Jake," Haley grinned. "We'll have plenty of leftovers-"

"Babe, the kids have a doctor's appointment and I gotta drive down to Wilmington," Nathan cut in.

"You guys don't have to baby sit me," Brooke said looking from one to the other. "It's Tree Hill. I'm no stranger. I'll find something to do.

"Nonsense. Hanging out with a long lost friend who's suffering from a break up is not babysitting. It's just….good friending."

"Friending?" Jake and Nathan exclaimed before dissolving into laughter. Haley grinned, proud of her newly made up word.

"Yeah! Friending. It's a verb. The act of being a good friend," Haley explained.

"Good word," Bevin said seriously, earning a sideways look from Brooke, a raised eyebrow from Nathan, and a shoulder shrug from Skillz.

"God, you are so pure," Molly sighed, in Bevin's direction, making Jake giggle.

"Thanks!" Bevin cried, making Jake laugh some more and this time Brooke and Mouth couldn't help but join in.

"Sometimes I can't believe they gave you a teaching degree," Nathan shook his head at his wife with a teasing smile.

"Oh shut up," Haley cried sticking her tongue out at him. "Anyway like I said it's not babysitting when it's your friend. You'd do the same for any one of us."

You better believe it tutor wife," Brooke grinned, roping an arm around her friend.

"Good, now where are the other Scotts? I wanna toast!"

"Calm down Hales, we have the whole night ahead of us to toast," Nathan said, calmly. He spied Lucas and Peyton walking out from the side of the house and chuckled. Nodding in their direction he said, "Follow the love."

They had clearly been up to something scandalous by the sated look on Lucas's flushed face and the cat that ate the canary look on Peyton's. They turned to look at each other to share a secret smile every once and awhile.

They didn't get far as the strains of a familiar song began floating through the yard, making Lucas stop and pull Peyton back into his arms, drawing her small body flush against his larger one. "I got you now," he whispered in her ear making her shiver. He leaned down to kiss her neck as they began to sway to the rhythm of their wedding song.

"What are they doing?" Jake asked curiously, watching them begin to sway back and forth. 

"They're dancing," Nathan replied. Jake rolled his eyes and muttered a sarcastic "thank you."

"It's their song," Molly said quietly, as if speaking any louder would ruin the moment across the yard.

I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I do believe

"God I love you," Lucas murmured, his body still buzzing from the orgasm Peyton had given him. "So much Peyt."

"And I am so in love with you," Peyton said by way of reply and then rested her head on Lucas's shoulder and sighed remembering the day they found their song. It was their wedding day and Haley had asked her in preparation for their first dance as husband and wife what their song was. It was then that Peyton had realized with horror that they of _all _people didn't have a song.

I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I do believe

Panicked she had run to tell Lucas, but he had only smiled and pulled her into his arms as the first strains of Sheryl Crow's song filled the yard. 

"I um…always sort of thought of this as our song," he'd whispered in her ear. " I hope that's okay." He'd pulled back to look into her tear filled green eyes as Sheryl sang the first lines of the song and smiled, barely feeling the rain as it began to trickle from the sky.

Peyton had smiled back at him. "It's perfect."

Peyton cuddled herself closer to Lucas wrapping both her arms around his neck and he in turn pressed her closer to his body much the way they did during their first dance. Their foreheads resting against each other, noses touching, blue eyes gazing into green. He leaned in to kiss her lips.

"I remember this," Nathan said, speaking just as quietly as Molly had. He smiled down at Haley "It started to rain and everyone went inside except them. We have it on video….them just dancing in the rain like nothing else existed."

Haley smiled fondly of the memory and squeezed Nathan around the waist. "Yup. This is so their song too," she chuckled. "It's just so them."

Open the door  
And show me your face tonight  
I know it's true  
No one heals me like you  
And you hold the key

Those words rang through to Lucas more than ever after Peyton left for LA. He'd told Peyton she could heal him while his mother was in the hospital. And after she left he realized he'd let her go too easily. He'd let her go without really showing her how much he loved her. 

It had been such an insane year and as much as Lucas had wanted to relish finally being with the love of his life, he'd been pushing her away. And after she was gone he realized that simply being with her _did_ heal his soul.

Never again  
would I turn away from you  
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright  
And I do believe

They promised each other during the relative quiet of an LA night that they would never hide from each other again and from that night on they had been nothing but naked with their feelings for each other ever since. The love between the couple was apparent to anyone looking.

That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly  
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
I shall believe  
And I shall believe

Before the song ended, Lucas cupped the back of Peyton's head and pulled her towards him, interlocking his lips hungrily with hers. Peyton moaned and opened her mouth happily under his, allowing his tongue to sweep into her mouth. They stayed locked at the lips for sometime longer, Lucas's hand stroking the skin at the base of her back, his other hand buried in her curls.

He pulled away with a moan and looked down into her eyes. "I want you alone Peyt," he whispered then bit the tender skin behind her ear, before running the tip of his tongue over the mark he left. Peyton groaned, grasping the front of his tee shirt.

"I want you too," Peyton gasped as Lucas began nibbling on the spot on her neck that made her crazy. "Lucas, not here!"

"God, Peyton I want you in the worst possible way," he whispered, huskily, making Peyton shiver.

He pulled back to look at her with big eyes. "Can we leave now?" He asked raising his eyebrows, hopefully and looking for all the world like a little boy asking for a cookie before bedtime. Peyton couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh.

"Luke, you know we can't. It's only eight-thirty. Besides Brooke is here and I want to spend some more time with her. And what about you? You've barely gotten to talk to her yourself."

Lucas shrugged, glancing over her shoulder to all the party goers. "Isn't she staying here with Nate and Hales? I can talk to her tomorrow."

"Luke!" Peyton laughed, slapping his shoulder. "I just want to reconnect with her a little more."

"But I wanna reconnect with you too," Lucas pouted. Laughing again, Peyton pulled him down for another kiss.

"My dad is right to still call you rake boy," she joked

"Oh, somebody who indulges in pleasures without restraint," Lucas defined, pulling Peyton's hips closer to his. "Very clever Mrs. Scott."

"I know what my positive attributes are," Peyton cracked, sassily. Lucas chuckled and pulled her into an embrace.

"So home then?"

"Luke!"

"Okay, okay," he relented with a pout.

"Poor baby. Look," she whispered, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "If we stay I promise to definitely make it worth your while later."

"Oh I don't know. I might be too tired later," he said, petulantly.

"Bullshit," Peyton smirked. "You'd fuck me in your sleep if you could."

Lucas smiled and looked away. "Yeah you're probably right. So tonight?"

"I am all yours to do with me whatever you please." Lucas licked his lips and nodded, running a finger down her arm.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, beautiful."

Peyton tugged on the front of his shirt smashing her lips to his in a hot kiss, filled with heated passion and a seductive promise for later. She pulled back and smiled enticingly up at him.

"You'd better. But until then, let's get back to the party rake boy."


	12. Chapter 12

**First of all I need to thank everyone who has been following my stories so loyally. Like many of you, a new semester of school has begun for me and it is because of this that you should know updates for Bliss, Bare Witness, and Journey will not be coming again any time soon. I'm an English major and my workload has been bumped up in this new year of classes tenfold. Consider these stories on hiatus. I will try to get little snippets to you so know that if there are updates they will be very short, although I really hate doing that. So once again, thank you for the support and sorry again!**

**Lexlady**

"I can't do this," Brooke murmured to herself, pacing back and forth. "I can't do this," she cried to herself, wringing her hands. She kept telling herself that this feeling would pass. That seeing them together would get easier. But the more she saw them the more painful it became. The way he touched her, the way he looked at her, the way he couldn't seem to get enough of her.

She had stolen away halfway through the song without anyone noticing. She couldn't watch the passion soaked way Lucas was looking at Peyton anymore. And she couldn't deal with the urge she had to stomp over there and rip him out of her arms. She didn't _want_ to feel this way. She wanted to be happy for Peyton, but they and her heart were making it really hard.

She shook her head and leaned herself against the cool marble of the bathroom countertop trying to still all the thoughts and feelings swirling around inside of her.

"Get it together Davis," she murmured. She sniffed, looked in the mirror and chuffed at the site she was. She smoothed out her hair and left the bathroom, running straight into Nathan.

"Sorry Davis," Nathan apologized, removing the arm he'd thrown out to keep her from falling. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Brooke smiled. "I'm fine. What are you doing up here?"

"We were just setting the older kids up with a movie and tucking Amalia and Anna into bed."

"We?"

"Well you just missed Peyton," he explained, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

"Ran off to make out with Lucas?" Brooke cringed at the biting tone she had failed to leave out of that inquiry. Nathan raised an eyebrow. Most places he was known as Haley's husband and he told most people he was very happily whipped, but he was very perceptive. He knew something was up.

"She did go to get Lucas so he could come up and say goodnight to the girls. And there is most likely _some_ making out going on."

"Are they always like that?" Nathan knew what Brooke was talking about. Lucas had always been tender with Peyton and over the years he had gotten the art of amorousness down to a science.

"Yeah. They kind of are." When Brooke didn't respond Nathan continued on. "They were different after they came back, you know. It was as though Lucas had woken up from sleeping for months and realized if he didn't unlock his whole heart he'd loose the love of his life. After he came back from LA he was…practically glowing and I know that's a weird word to use cause he's a guy, but he was and he could barely function cause his head was in the clouds. He was counting the days until he got to see her again. And then she came home and they haven't left one another's sides since without being torn apart by force."

Slightly annoyed Brooke looked up at Nathan with a raised eyebrow. "Okay. Great story," was all she could come up with. She couldn't smile and pretend their love wasn't killing her.

"It's not just a great story Brooke. It's your friend's story. Your best friend. I care about you Brooke, but…Peyton is like my sister-hell she _is_ my sister and I don't want her to get hurt. I'm gonna protect her. I don't care from who."

"Okay what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not an idiot Brooke. I see you watching them. You aren't being very subtle."

"It's hard to be subtle when your ex-boyfriend is dry humping your ex best friend two feet away from you," Brooke replied with a sarcastic smirk.

Seeing them together didn't hurt this badly back in high school. And she knew it was seeing them this happy after all this time that made it sting so much. She had never wanted to believe their love would last thing long or grow so strong.

"Brooke," Nathan said, quietly. "Is this going to be a problem?"

Brooke shook her head and put her game face back on. "No. I'm just…not used to this. You guys have had six years to get used to them together like this. I'll be fine. I just need time."

Nathan nodded dubiously. He had already guessed that Peyton and Brooke had parted because of Lucas. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out, but for now he decided to let it go. "Okay well, your room is down the hall. If you want I can get your stuff from your hotel."

"No, I want you to enjoy this, Nate. We can do all that later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll be down soon. I just need a moment."

"Okay…But Brooke you can talk to me about anything," Nathan said, smiling kindly at her. "Just…know that too okay?"

Brooke returned his smile. "Thanks."

Nathan went down the stairs and Brooke sighed. The faint sounds of the party outside floated in through an open window from one side of the hall and from the other she could hear the movie the older children were watching. She walked along the hall, lightly touching family pictures on the wall and wished she belonged to someone the way all the Scotts belonged to each other.

All of a sudden she heard a faint whimper and then a cry. Opening a door she peeked in and found little William Scott standing in his crib with big tears rolling down his cheeks.

She looked around her and walked into the room and undimmed the lights.

"Hey there," she whispered, once again blown away by the resemblance between the baby and its father. She remembered Karen showing her baby pictures of Lucas once and there was no doubt that William was the spitting image of his father. The chiseled features of Lucas's face were rounded, softened and chubby on the baby's face, but one day that kid would be a heartbreaker.

Just like his daddy, she thought. William had stopped crying for now and was watching the new face watch him. "Mama?" he cried tragically, opening and closing his fists.

Brooke's stomach jumped hearing him call her that. She smiled at the baby and stepped closer and wished she was his mother.

"Hey, little guy," she whispered.

"Dada!" William began to cry again, sitting down in his crib with a muffled thud and rubbed his eyes with his little fists. Brooke leaned over the crib and picked him up out of instinct and bounced the sad little boy a little.

"It's okay," she cooed. "Shhh. Um rock a bye something on the tree top…"

The baby continued to whimper, big tears leaking from his eyes and then the door swung open and Lucas strode in and stopped, surprised to see Brooke there holding his son.

"Oh, he was crying so I came in," Brooke explained, trying to keep from dropping the now wriggling child. William had caught site of his father and now was reaching for him in such a way so as to make her drop him.

"Hey, hey, hey," Lucas cooed, scooping the baby up from Brooke's arms. He held his son out in front of him, laughing at the big tragic eyes William was staring at him with. "Hey there. None of that," he whispered. He kissed the baby's tear stained cheeks and cuddled him to his chest. William did the best he could at wrapping his short little arms around Lucas's broad shoulders, his tears turning into tired hiccups.

"Shhh, Daddy has you," he murmured, glancing around the room and spotting the diaper bag he needed. He sat down and unbuckled his overalls. "What do you think? Is it time for your jammies?"

Brooke couldn't wipe the smile off her face. "Jammies?" She asked teasingly.

"Hey I'm a stay at home dad of two kids under four," he said, wryly. "Gimmie a break."

"He looks like you," Brooke said, wincing at the obviousness of her statement. But Lucas threw a grin at her while he changed Will's diaper.

"Thank you. Some people say he looks like Peyt, but I think it's the curls that throw them off. I would think the nose would get everyone on my side," he said referring to their shared upturned noses.

"How did you know to come up here?" Brooke asked.

"I was actually coming to kiss Anna and Amalia goodnight, but I heard William over the monitor," He gestured to his hip where a baby monitor was clipped to his belt.

"Very undercover daddy," Brooke smiled. "I like it."

Lucas smiled at her and finished pulling William's piglet onesie on.

"Piglet? I would have thought with Broody as his father he'd have Eyore on."

Lucas picked William up and grinned. "We left that one at home. And I always had a soft spot for Piglet."

He sat down and cradled the baby in his arms and began reciting Faulkner to him. He stopped seeing the huge grin on Brooke's face. He shrugged. "He likes it."

"I'll bet he does," Brooke smiled softly back.

"How come you aren't downstairs with everyone? Peyton has been looking high and low for you."

"Oh…I just needed to get away for a bit. It's all sort of overwhelming."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "We're a rowdy lot, but I'm sure sitting here listening to me recite Faulkner's Go Down Moses from memory can't be any fun. I know you can't stand that stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Books." Ouch! Brooke's jaw dropped indignantly and she looked at him to find his eyes dancing at her.

"Still a jerk I see," she laughed, enjoying their banter. "No, this is actually kind of nice. Do you mind if I stay?"

Lucas shrugged, not wanting to seem perturbed. He treasured his alone time with his children. Peyton called him a baby hog, because although he spent all day with them at home he guarded the nightly rituals with them like a child protecting his favorite toy.

"If you want," he said, turning his eyes back down to his son.

He continued to recite to the baby who's one hand was playing with his curls, the other clutched Lucas's shirt. Lucas kept his steady, loving gaze on William who's eyes were, in turn captivated by his father's.

Seeing the obvious connection between father and son made Brooke's heart swell with happiness for Lucas and it made her fall in love with him just a little bit more. He was obviously the father to these children that he didn't have and craved growing up.

Eventually William's eyes slowly shut, the hands clutching shirt and hair loosening, and soon the baby was snoring noisily. Lucas grinned and smoothed away the curls in his son's face.

He needed a hair cut, but Lucas would wait for Peyton to bring it up. He loved his son's curls. And just as he couldn't keep his finger's out of the child's mother's hair so was it with his son.

Brooke began to feel uncomfortable, feeling like she was intruding on a moment between father and son. Lucas's gaze had not left his son, but he had stopped speaking, so now he just stared at his son and stroked his hair and rubbed his little back.

"I delivered him you know. And Anna too. The doctor told me to get down there and he had me hold them as they came out. I thought I was going to pass out both times," Lucas laughed.

"That must have been amazing," Brooke replied.

"It was. After Anna, Peyton was actually shocked I wanted to go anywhere near that region again," Lucas said, wryly. Brooke winced and Lucas found himself apologizing.

After a moment of awkward silence, Brooke spoke. "He-um called me mama a little while ago."

Lucas groaned lightly and blew out a puff of air. "Aw man, we though he was over this."

At her questioning glance he explained. "For awhile all men were dada and all women were mama to him. Nathan and Jake were dada, Skillz was dada. My mom and Haley were Mama. After awhile of coaxing he learned to distinguish Peyton and I from everyone else. Man is Peyton gonna be pissed," he muttered.

"Oh well, I don't know that he called me mama, per se. He said dada after."

"Ah. He was probably just calling for us then." Lucas stood and kissed the baby's brow and cheeks, before laying him in the crib Haley had set up for him.

"Goodnight my sweet boy," he whispered, before straightening up. He gestured for Brooke to follow him and they walked back out into the hall.

"I have to say goodnight to the girls," Lucas said, before walking to the room next door he tiptoed in and Brooke watched in awe as Lucas sat down on Anna's little bed. He smoothed her hair back gently and leaned down to kiss her forehead and cheeks. The little girls eyes fluttered open, being a light sleeper like her father.

"Daddy? Is it time fo breakfast?"

"No sweetie," Lucas chuckled. That kid was always ready to eat. "I just wanted to come say goodnight to you and wish you sweet dreams."

"I wore my shiwt all day," she giggled sleepily.

"You sure did, but let's not remind your mommy huh?"

"Kay. Is our secret, dadda," Anna whispered. She called him Dadda when she was very tired or in need of babying. Lucas smiled down at her fondly, her face so much like her mothers. He leaned down and kissed her forehead again.

"Good deal," he replied. "Get some sleep my sweet baby girl. I love you."

"Me too," she yawned, making him smile. It was her standard reply when anyone told her they loved her. Lucas got up and walked over to the other child bed where Amalia was sleeping. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and whispered goodnight to the sleeping toddler.

He walked back out of the room and closed the door, leaving it open a crack.

He smiled down at Brooke. "What?"

Brooke shook her head. "Just you…..I mean as a father," she added quickly. "You're so great at it and your kids seem to love you so much. I'm just happy for you."

Lucas smiled back, coloring slightly at the complement. "Thanks Brooke."

He cleared his throat and clapped his hands together lightly. "Ready to party?"

"Mmm. I think so." Brooke began walking ahead of him and he stopped her quickly.

"Brooke wait," Lucas called, grabbing hold of her wrist. Brooke looked back up at Lucas waiting. He took hold of her hand and looked into her eyes, flying her back to a time when those eyes were only for her.

"I'm truly sorry about you and Chase."

Brooke teared up for reasons not limited to her recent break up and asked,

"What's wrong with me Luke? Why do they always leave?"

Lucas sighed and then winced as Brooke took on his wife's former catch phrase and felt badly knowing that he was one of the leavers. With nothing to say, he pulled her into his arms, comfortingly.

"You were meant to be loved Brooke Davis, just like you were meant for great things."

Brooke savored the feel of being in his embrace once more and let herself pretend for a moment he was still hers.

When he pulled away a short moment later he looked down at her and made a sympathetic sound. He reached into his pocket, produced a napkin and handed it to her and it was only then that she realized she'd been crying.

"Oh geez," she muttered, wiping her face. "Look at me. I must look like a mess," she laughed self deprecatingly.

"Naw, you look beautiful," Lucas said kindly, shoving his hands casually into his pockets and smiling boyishly.

Brooke's heart did a back flip and she made a mental note to call Rachel.

They began to walk down the stairs and as Lucas casually threw an arm over her shoulders, oblivious to the turmoil within his ex-girlfriend, Brooke knew she had to get Rachel down her one way or another. She definitely couldn't do this. Especially not alone.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'd like to thank everyone again for the great reviews. I have been finding bits and pieces of time to write here and there and I'd like to thank ya'll for sticking with me and for all the excellent reviews that you leave me. This chapter, especially the second part with Lucas and Peyton is borderline M. Nothing too hardcore like Blissfully, but I'm just warning the youngins. I'm not sure if it's too racy for this section, cause these days it really is hard to tell, but if it is drop me a line and I'll switch the whole Bliss series over to M. It'll just be easier that way. **

**Thanks again guys!**

Rachel Gattina rolled over to squint at her digital clock and cursed under her breath. She picked up her phone without bothering to look at the caller id and muttered a sleepy, "This better be a booty call," into the receiver.

Brooke made a face at her phone on the other line. "Yeah, sorry to disappoint. Why are you in bed?"

"Because it's night time and most normal human beings sleep during this period of time."

"Um, hello have you forgotten you live in the city that never sleeps?"

"Oh trust me I'm painfully aware," Rachel remarked, slyly as outside her window she could hear cars honking, faint music playing, and a general hum that was New York city.

"So how's Mayberry?"

"I need you to come down here," Brooke demanded, peeking out the window at Haley and Nathan who were enjoying alone time in the yard.

"That good huh?"

"I'm serious!"

"Okay can I guess this has to do with a certain hot blonde we know?"

"Geez does everyone know how I feel about Lucas?"

"Well I was talking about Peyton, but do tell," Rachel joked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Rachel!"  
"Okay, okay. So what's the deal? Does he have a girlfriend or something?"

"I wish," Brooke sighed, beginning to pace up and down the floor of the guest bedroom at Haley and Nathan's. "He's married…To Peyton and they have two children together and he apparently can't seem to keep it in his pants when he's around her."

"Mmmmm," Rachel hummed, appreciatively, leaning back in her bed, and biting her lip. "I always knew that boy was a sex god."

"Rachel you are not helping! I'm still-I think I'm still in-"

"In love with him," Rachel finished for her. "Yeah. I know."

Brooke stopped pacing and was silent a moment before saying, "Am I really that transparent?"

"Kinda. I mean Chase saw it-I mean not the Lucas part but that you definitely weren't all there."

Once again, shit that could have been brought to her attention _before_ her break up. Brooke shook her head, feeling herself ready to blow up. Hindsight really is fucking 20/20.

"Shit-fuck-sonofamother…."

Rachel held the phone away from her as Brooke let loose a stream of curses that would make a sailor blush.

"Okay, little friend you clearly are having some serious issues because you don't curse like that ever."

Brooke growled her frustration. "Isn't that what I just said? What is the matter with you!"

"Um, keep up that attitude missy and my ass is staying in the city that never sleeps."

"Oh, I'm sorry, okay? Rachel," Brooke whined. "I can't do this alone. I mean you didn't see them together. It's absolutely disgusting."

"Um, well here's something…Why not just come back here?"

"Because Chase is still in that city. New York is a big city but they didn't write that 'It's a Small World' song cause it's catchy. Besides, I apparently need some type of… closure, right? I mean my relationship with Chase bombed because I'm not over Lucas."

"You mean like closure sex?"

"Why does closure always equate to sex with you? Forget it-Everything equates to sex with you," Brooke sighed rolling her eyes. Not that she would mind letting Lucas put those new muscles to use on her.

"Um okay _Pot_," Rachel threw back, raising an eyebrow she knew Brooke couldn't see.

"Yeah yeah. There can be no closure sex because he's married okay?" Brooke said quite unconvincingly. She didn't like the undertone in her own voice either and to cover that up she brought up one of Rachel's flaws.

"Besides, some of us like our men unattached," Brooke said, referring to Rachel's ongoing relationship with a married Wall Street banker who had been promising to leave his wife for the past six months. Rachel was a smart girl to be sure, but it was a well known fact that when it came to men, she didn't do so well.

"You aren't doing a very good job of trying to get me down there," Rachel deadpanned. Rachel

"Pleeeeaaaaase, new best friend. I can't do this by myself. I need moral support only a fellow jaded New Yorker can give. Oh and Mouth's here, Skillz, and Bevin it'll be like a reunion. Come on I know you've missed this little town as much as I have."

"Well…I do have a whole rack of vacation time saved up….and I am the boss so I can do whatever I want." Rachel sighed. "Okay you twisted my arm."

"Oh good!" Brooke squealed. "When will you be here?"

"I'll leave tomorrow, but I'm driving down there, so don't hold your breath."

"Oh yay." Brooke squealed. "You don't know how much this means to me Rachel. Thank you."

"Not a problem, chica. Well, since I apparently have a long day ahead of me tomorrow so I'm going to get my tired cynical ass to sleep."

"Okay and Rach? Thanks again."

"Yeah…hey! Where are we staying?"

"Oh…um, well I'm staying with Haley and Nathan."

"I'm guessing Hales won't be too keen on letting me stay there too, huh," Rachel commented, dryly.

"Well, Peyton offered to let me stay at her house, so maybe she'll let you stay there. I can ask her tomorrow."

"Oh great so it'll be like staying at a hotel, but apparently I won't have to pay for the porn."

Brooke gagged into the phone. "Ugh, don't make me sick," Brooke sighed, flopping down on her bed. "The way the were looking at each other when they left, they're probably doing it right now."

The thought alone made her want to vomit.

"Did you enjoy yourself Peyt?" Lucas asked while he set the baby monitors down on the nightstand.

Peyton smiled over at her husband and nodded. "Yeah, I did. It's off the hook every year, but this year was particularly…eventful. The kids had fun too."

Lucas paused in pulling off his other shoe and looked up at his wife with a grin. "Did you just say off the hook?" Lucas giggled. "Who's spending too much time with Skillz now?"

"Dude, shut up," Peyton threw a converse sneaker at him. Lucas avoided it deftly and grinned.

"They did wear themselves out this weekend," he said, turning the conversation back to the children.

"_We _wore them out this weekend, dude," Peyton exclaimed with a satisfied grin.

"And no tantrums or boo-boos in sight," Lucas added with just as much satisfaction. He pulled off his shirt and Peyton couldn't help but marvel at the way the beautifully defined muscles rippled in his back. She cleared her throat and said,

"You should have a mellow Monday Mr. Mommy." She unzipped her jeans and scooted out of them, tossing them on a chair. "We rule,"

They high-fived each other on a parenting weekend well done. Even though the Scotts looked like the ideal family with two angels for children and loving parents with a more than healthy love life, most days were general pandemonium. Anna and William were overall good kids…but they were still kids and it was always a treat when they could go through a day without some type of low scale tragedy involving a lost toy or broken _something_.

Peyton pulled her top off, smirking because she knew her husband's appreciative eyes were on her. She was about to walk away when Lucas grabbed hold of her waist. "Hey, hey, hey. Where do you think you're going?"

"To shower. I stink." Lucas wiggled his eyebrows at her comically and asked,

"Need help washing your back?" Peyton laughed at his buffoonery and shook her head.

"The kids-"

"Are fast asleep and we can bring the monitor into the bathroom with us," Lucas said, sidling up to her. He toyed with the hem of her panties and looked up into her eyes.

"Besides I seem to remember you making me a promise earlier tonight."

Peyton bit her lip and gasped as his hands slid up her torso and over her breasts.

Breathlessly, "I did promise huh."

"Nothin' crazy. I'm actually kind of worn out myself," Lucas chuckled. "I just… want to be close to you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, making her smile.

"Come here." Peyton grabbed his hand with one of hers and the baby monitor with the other. Smiling she dragged him into the bathroom with her. They shed the rest of their clothing and stepped, giggling into the shower.

They didn't get to spend as much time together as they would like. It wasn't that Lucas couldn't keep his hands off Peyton and vice versa, it was that they wouldn't.

Between their careers and raising two children under the age of four it was no miracle that they kept their physical romance going, but a necessity. Lucas and Peyton could and had gone for weeks without making love simply because there was no time or one wasn't in the mood or the thought of sleep was more seductive than lovemaking.

It was the reality marriage and of having a young family to raise and support, but they had seen too many marriages and relationships crack and crumble under the stress of forces beyond their control and they had nearly lost their own years before marriage ever entered their minds. They may not make love every night, but they kept their physical intimacy by constantly touching or holding hands, a kiss here and there, simply to keep themselves from falling into that void that many married couples had fallen into before them and they had nearly fallen into themselves.

They stepped under the spray, wetting their bodies, and rubbing water into their parched skin. Lucas grabbed the shampoo and lathered up her head and she in turn washed his hair for him, giggling as he stooped down a bit to make the job easier on her arms.

They stepped back under the spray of the water, letting it rinse the shampoo from their heads. Lucas grabbed the soap and began moving his hands slowly over her body, cleaning and reacquainting himself with every curve of her all at the same time. His eyes never leaving hers, he pulled her slippery body towards his and brought his lips to hers, his tongue lunging forward to seek hers. His hands dipped into every crevice, every place that was once only secret to her and now belonged to him as well.

Brooke remained a thought at the front of Peyton's mind. They had finally talked, but Peyton still felt that there were major hurtles ahead. Peyton had so much more she wanted to say to the brunette, but like she'd told her in Haley and Nate's living room, there was too much at stake in the present to dwell in the past.

Even so, Peyton couldn't help but notice that when she was talking to her or to Lucas alone and the other would approach Brooke would find a reason to run off. She knew Brooke wasn't okay with her and Lucas and she knew Brooke wouldn't say anything about it. She didn't know how to feel about that and was unsure of what the days they would eventually spend together would bring.

Opening her eyes, Peyton stared at her husband. None of that mattered now as she stared at Lucas. Taking the soap from him she ordered him to turn around and she began to rub soapy hands into his back. His skin was bronzed, a trait she was jealous of because all she could ever seem to do was burn. She watched him lean an arm against the wall and slick his hair back and once again marveled at the beautiful sinewy muscles that rippled on his back. Nathan had decided three years ago after a PTA meeting that they would never turn into those beer bellied, out of shape husbands, and he and Lucas began working out everyday. And it showed. Lucas had always been the smaller and less muscular of the two, but these days Lucas could give Nathan a run for his money.

She would fight battles for him and she still woke up some mornings to him typing away on his laptop or giggling quietly with Anna over some silly secret they decided to keep from her, or reading the newspaper to William whose serious little eyes looked as though he knew exactly what he was talking about, and think, "How did I, Peyton Elizabeth 'everybody leaves' Sawyer, get so damn lucky?".

"Hey," Peyton said, getting his attention. He turned to her wiping water out of his eyes. "I love you," she declared quietly. "You know that?"

Lucas's lips curved slowly into a smile and he reached an arm out, snaking it around his wife's waist and pulling her to his slick body, reveling in the feel of her soapy skin against his, and they way their bodies fit together like a jig saw puzzle.

He kissed the top of her head, once, twice, and whispered back "I love you too, blondie."

If asked about his heart condition in the presence of his family he'd simply smile at his wife and children and reply "My heart is just fine." It _was_ fine and at this moment it was soaring.

"You have no idea how it makes me feel every time you say that to me the way you do," he husked, feeling his blood begin to burn as her pebble hard nipples slid against his chest.

"If it's anything like the way it makes me feel when you say it, then I have an idea," Peyton replied, listening to the beating of his heart. It was something she loved to do when her head was pressed against his chest. Her greatest fear was loosing him and she'd nearly lost him before to a heart attack. Hearing his heart beat beneath her cheek, healthy and strong calmed her more than anything.

Lucas smoothed a hand through her slicked back hair and kissed her forehead again. Peyton lifted her head from his chest and leaned her head back to look up at him with 'those green eyes' and he leaned down to meet her for another kiss. It began as a gentle caress, their lips just barely grazing one another's and then a tender interlocking of flesh against flesh, hands leisurely traveling over each other's slippery bodies, leaving heat and shivers in their wake. The Eskimo kiss…and then smoldering blue met wide eyed green.

They lunged at each other at the same time, passion grabbing a hold of them tightly not soon to let go. Lucas pressed her up against the wall of the shower, plunging his hungry tongue into her mouth and hers pressed forward to meet it, tangling, dancing.

He felt her shiver and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

When they had finally made it home with the children still sound asleep, he had found he was exhausted. It had been a fun, but busy weekend and he had spent much of the day worrying about his wife. What she had said to him that morning hurt him.

That she could ever think he would leave her for anyone else and that he'd placed that seed of doubt in her mind, killed him. He hated to be reminded of how badly he'd dealt with Peyton and Brooke their junior year and it all always seemed to come back to that. Him fucking it all up with Peyton and with Brooke.

"Hold me, Luke," Peyton whimpered, even though she was wrapped up tightly in his arms, her leg hooked around his hip, she needed to be closer. She wanted him to take her breath away. He knew that feeling. Sometimes they just couldn't seem to get close enough. Like they needed to be inside each other. Lucas ran a hand up Peyton's leg and grasped her bottom.

He felt badly for Brooke and he understood her need to reconnect with the friends she let go, but part of him selfishly wished that Brooke had stayed away, because her return had rekindled every doubt and every sadness Peyton had felt at that time years and years ago. He never wanted her to feel that way again and she never wanted to feel it, so even though they were both tired they needed this closeness.

The water began to cool down and Lucas reached blindly for the faucet handle. Shutting off the water, they separated only to grab towels and the monitor. Hand in hand they walked back into their bedroom. Lucas set the monitor down on the nightstand, before Peyton stepped back into his arms and they rubbed each other dry. They giggled like children as they furiously rubbed the towels over their heads to dry their hair.

And then a droplet of water fell from Peyton's hair and made a trail that Lucas's gaze followed down to her breasts.

He swooped down and puckered those amazing lips of his, catching the water and suckled on the spot, making Peyton moan. The tip of his tongue backtracked the trail of water on her skin and then settled at her collar bone, leaving a small love bite and then swathing it with his tongue. Moving back down again, he found her nipple, suckling on the tender bud, making Peyton hiss and drop the towel. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he picked her up and gently laid her down on the bed.

"Lucas," Peyton cried, throwing her hands into his damp hair as he moved to the other breast, suckling and licking, and loving it as he had done to the other.

"Oh God, Luke," she murmured, her body beginning to writhe restlessly. His hand traveled down between her legs to touch her and he moaned into her skin, finding her warm, soaking wet, and more than ready for him.

"I want you Peyt," he whispered, his fingers hungry for every inch, every millimeter of flesh. She felt his erection against her thigh and let out a high pitched sigh.

"Lucas, I need you inside of me," she begged, arching her body into his. He shivered and turned his eyes up towards hers which were hooded with desire and want.

There was more to Brooke's presence that worried him. He wasn't a moron. He'd noticed that somehow Brooke managed to avoid being in both he and Peyton's presence at the same time. But he could think about those worries later.

He crawled back up Peyton's body and met her lips for a searing, spine tingling kiss. Right now his wife was begging him to make love to her. And even if the whole world was coming to an end outside he would still happily consent do as his wife asked.

As they began their dance, Lucas cradled her head with his hands whispering words of affection and love to her. Words that were slowly becoming incoherent as he got swept up in the feel of her and the intense ecstasy he felt.

"Why are you so good to me," Peyton sighed. This made Lucas pause his movements and stare down at her, his gaze intensifying as he responded.

"Peyton don't you get yet?" He resumed his movements, slower, but just as forceful.

"Baby….you're everything to me," he whispered, passionately. Peyton's eyes misted over at the conviction of his words. He leaned down and kissed her lips, tenderly,

"You're everything," he said again. "You're my whole world."

It was Peyton's heart's turn to soar.

**Reviews are like my reward :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the wait. I suck. :-(**

Monday morning in the Scott household was unusually quiet. Monday mornings were usually a bit chaotic with everyone going in four different directions after a loud breakfast which consisted of Haley, James, and Amalia all trying to talk at the same time while Nathan read the sports page and only spoke when he heard his name called. This morning the children had worn themselves out and so they were both tiredly talking amongst themselves at the table as they ate breakfast. Luckily James didn't deem himself above conversing with a toddler as many his age did.

Brooke hadn't come down yet, having stayed up to help clean up after the last guests had left, Nathan and Haley figured she was sleeping off the night before.

Standing, Nathan sidled over to the counter where Haley was chopping up pieces of fruit for lunches. "So," Nathan began quietly, glancing back at the children.

Haley furrowed her brows at him and chuckled. "So," she echoed.

"How do you think the Brooke and Peyton reunion went?"

Haley paused and considered her answer. "I think it went pretty well under the circumstances, but you know Nate I am a bit worried."

"Because Brooke is obviously still in love with Lucas?" Nathan supplied. At that Haley put the knife down and gave Nathan her full attention.

"Okay, spill. What do you know?"

"I don't know anything, for certain, Hales. I just have a feeling and honestly I'm a bit worried too," Nathan shrugged.

"Yeah, well Jake had a feeling too and so did I," Haley sighed.

"Jake too huh?"

"Yeah he said he was talking to her and it was not only totally obvious that Brooke was still in love with Lucas, but that she didn't expect them to be together at all when she came back."

"You think Brooke came home for Lucas?" Nathan raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Haley sighed and went back to her chopping. "Who knows. All I know is three best friends can't be wrong about this. And Peyton told me why she and Brooke stopped talking to begin with."

"Lucas?"

"How did you know?"

"Because when it comes to those two fighting it's always about Lucas," Nathan said with a roll of his eyes, echoing his wife's words from the night before.

"True. So what do we do Nate?"

"Whoa. Who says we should do anything? I mean we don't even know if it's true." At the raised eyebrow Haley threw his way, he added. "Which it probably is. But so what if it is, Hales? It's not like Lucas would leave his family if he knew. All he sees is Peyton. The only two people I see getting hurt in all this is Brooke and Peyton if Brooke opens her mouth."

"Well there's the thing. Do you think she'll say something? She did before and all of a sudden we were out a god mother."

Nathan thought back to the 'talk' he had with Brooke the night before. "I really don't know, Hales."

"You noticed Brooke was never with both of them at the same time last night?"

"Yeah I noticed that too. I told her she wasn't being at all subtle about her feelings."

"Wait, you talked to her about it?"

"Well, yeah after she disappeared I found her upstairs and it looked like she'd been crying."

"Oh no," Haley moaned, sympathetically. "She's going through a really hard time right now, Nate and I think the best thing we can do for her now is try to be really supportive. I mean it's like you said Lucas isn't going to leave Peyton and the way they are together it's probably torture for Brooke to see that."

"But we can't tell Peyton and Lucas about it. Why should they have to change the way they are around each other because Brooke decided to step into a time machine?"

"I'm not saying they should, I'm just saying we should be there for Brooke, you know…In case she needs to talk or something."

"Yeah," Nathan sighed. "All I'm saying is I don't want Peyton to get hurt in all this."

"Me neither," Haley sighed. She suddenly smiled up at Nathan. "You're a great big brother, you know that?"

"I try," Nathan grinned, leaning down to kiss his wife.

"Ew!" That came from James who was staring at his parents with a raised eyebrow. A giggle from Amalia followed and the pair smiled at their children.

"Don't we get enough of that from Uncle Luke and Aunt Peyt?"

Haley gaped at him, while Nathan chuckled. "Hey, your old mom and dad here enjoy kissing each other just as much as your Aunt and Uncle."

James wrinkled his nose and rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah I know. It's gross."

"You know one day you'll find a girl you want to kiss just as much," Nathan teased as he sat down at the breakfast table.

"When you're thirty," Haley threw in, taking on the role of over protective mother.

"No way! Kissing is gross!"

"And don't you forget it," Haley muttered.

He sighed, feeling his mind slowly coming to awareness and smiled before he even opened his eyes. He felt her curled in his arms, her body pressed flush against his with their legs tangled together. Her fingers glided across his lips, and he remembered his body moving between her legs the night before, her lips warm and supple beneath his mouth, the way she arched her back like a cat when she came, crying out his name, and he remembers coming inside her for the second time that night with the realization that being able to make love with the person who understands you better than anyone else in the world is a rare thing, the best thing, and something to celebrate.

God he loved his life. He opened his eyes to find those smiling green eyes staring back at him. Peyton was awake and tracing her fingertips over his chest.

"Good morning," she greeted with a happy smile. Her skin was glowing from the night's activities. Lucas often joked to her that he wanted to keep her sexually satisfied all the time just so she could always look this way. Her beauty always stopped his heart, pardon the expression, but she was luminous after thoroughly being made love to.

"Mmmm," he hummed, running a hand through her hair, which at the moment was looking very wild and he loved it. "Good morning," he replied glancing behind her at the clock. They had forty five minutes before she had to get dressed for work. He looked back at Peyton, who had obviously come to the same conclusion from the look in her eyes.

"Mmmm," he moaned again, rolling on top of her. Bodies still warm from sleep and a night wrapped around each other, they kissed and cuddled. Lucas and Peyton relished their mornings, because every night was not like the last two nights they shared. Some nights, as soon as their heads hit the pillow they were out like lights. Therefore their mornings were for cuddling, maybe making love quickly before they needed to rise, talking about the day ahead of them, or just holding each other close before the day took them away from each other.

He slipped inside of her with ease and they began to rock lazily against each other, her sighs in his ear like the sweetest kind of music. His mind was still fresh with memories from the night before. It still amazed him how after making love for all those years, being with her could still be….explosive in a monumental way. Lucas changed their position sinking deeper into her, intensifying the pleasure, making them both moan and Peyton's toes to curl.

"Oh God, Luke," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his warm body. He moaned and buried his face in her neck making her giggle and sigh. Lucas exhaled happily into her neck, kissed her there and then again as they continued their steady rhythm…..

Then a soft knock on the door.

Fuck, Lucas thought. Fuckfuckdoublefuck. Then he said it aloud into her neck.

"Oooh shit," Peyton groaned. More than frustrated, but used to it, Lucas pumped his hips a few more times for the road and then pulled out. While Peyton fished around for a tee shirt and shorts, he got up.

He and Peyton enjoyed a very healthy sex life. They managed to make love as much as, if not more than the next young married couple with children. But that was the clincher. Children. Just because they started didn't always mean they got to finish.

Lucas pulled some sweats and a tee shirt on as the knocking became more insistent with a plaintive little cry of "Mommy, Daddy open the door please," added in for good measure. And as Peyton hollered a "Momma's coming baby," he couldn't help but laugh at both his daughter's impatience and at the deprived look on Peyton's flushed face.

"No you're not," he replied, unable to let one go by. She rolled her eyes at his bad joke and looked down at his crotch which was still sporting an erection, with a raised eyebrow.

"Neither are you," she responded, sweetly. He smirked at her and she giggled. "Rain check?" She whispered, before kissing his lips. He pulled her into his arms with a moan, deepening the kiss for only a few moments, because he knew when Peyton opened the door Anna was going to be pissed for having been kept waiting.

"I'll hold you to that," he replied, walking around her to the bathroom.

"You always do," Peyton shot back, before opening the bedroom door. Peyton looked down frustrated at her daughter who in turn had hands on her hips and was looking up at Peyton with a frown.

Peyton sighed and picked her up unable to deny that Anna Scott is all her at sixteen but with WAY more sweetness and a LOT less bitch.

"Honey, that was very good knocking, but you have to learn how to be patient and wait for Daddy and I to come get you," Peyton admonished with a sigh.

They had to teach Anna to knock after a particularly embarrassing situation involving Anna standing beside their bed one morning for a few unnoticed moments. She had innocently asked them what they were doing and they'd both jumped a mile. Luckily they were mostly covered by sheets. If the conversation that followed, after they had dressed wasn't bad enough, Anna had let Nathan, Karen, and Haley know during dinner that "Mommy and Daddy like to "wrestle" in the mornings, but that's for adults." Lucas and Peyton turned beet red and nearly choked on their meat loaf. And they would never hear the end of it.

Anna was a notorious early riser like her father, but she usually entertained herself in her room until one of them came to get her. On some occasions, though, like this particular morning she didn't feel like waiting.

"I was hungry Mommy," Anna explained, before Peyton plopped her down on top of the blankets of their bed. Peyton smiled down at her daughter. They knick named her baby bird because she was always hungry.

"You still need to wait unless it's an emergency, babe. Being hungry isn't an emergency."

"It is to me," the little girl replied with big eyes. Laughing, Peyton leaned down and kissed her daughter's nose. "Where's my daddy?" She asked peering around the room.

"He'll be out in a minute baby," Peyton replied, hearing the shower running. Anna scrambled on top of her mother, wrapping little arms around her waist and put her head on her chest. "Do you want me to make you breakfast?"

Anna lifted her head from her mother's chest and stared at her in horror. "Nooooooo," she howled.

Slightly offended, Peyton frowned at her daughter's impassioned reply. She was aware she couldn't cook, but it didn't stop her from trying every once and awhile.

"Okay, okay fine, we'll wait for daddy," Peyton replied, pouting when Anna actually sighed in relief.

Lucas stepped out of the bathroom a moment later, teeth clean, freshly showered, shaven, and Luke junior under control. He smiled at his girls laying in bed together.

"Daddy," Anna squealed without moving out her mother's embrace.

Lucas lay down beside them, making his face level with Anna's and grinned at his daughter. "Morning baby, girl. What did we tell you about waiting?"

"To do it," Anna replied, her voice muffled because half her face was mashed into her mother's chest. She turned her head so she could pout at her father.

"But daddy I'm ready for breakfast," she cried plaintively, giving him her best hungry face. Lucas smiled and kissed her cheek.

"You were ready for breakfast last night, baby bird."

"It's cause I'm growing! Gramma says so! Daddy we can go to the park and see Gramma today?"

"Sure we can," he replied, before yawning in her face. This only made Anna giggle and say much to her parent's amusement,

"Then we can all take a nap." She patted Lucas's cheek, affectionately, making Lucas and Peyton laugh.

"Sounds like a plan, baby. Now, let's let Mommy get ready for work and we'll go get your brother and have breakfast okay?"

"Okay!" Anna sat up and rolled off the bed, with help from Peyton and scooted out the door. Lucas looked up at Peyton with a grin and then frowned at the look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Peyton pouted down at him.

"Is my cooking really that bad?"

Lucas began to laugh, but seeing the look on his wife's face, stopped immediately.

"Oh baby," he cooed, pulling her into his arms. He sighed. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

"Shit. That does it. I'm taking a cooking class."

Lucas couldn't hold in his laughter any longer and hugged Peyton to him as she frowned at him. "Babe, you know you can't cook."

"Anna doesn't even want me to make her breakfast," Peyton pouted, picking at his tee shirt.

"Oh sweetie. Anna is a picky eater," Lucas tried, weakly. It came out as a question and Peyton rolled her eyes.

"No she's not," Peyton replied swatting at him.

"Yeah I know," Lucas sighed, feigning a look of defeat. He shrugged and looked at her as if to say "Hey, I tried". They looked at each other and fell into a fit of giggles.

"Seriously, babe if it bothers you so much go see mom. I didn't exactly get my culinary genius from the Food Network, ya know."

"Yeah, yeah," Peyton rolled her eyes at him again. "Show off."

They heard a thud come from the monitor and then another a moment later followed by a baby's giggle. They laughed. William was awake and hurling thing out of his crib again.

Sighing Lucas leaned up and planted a sound kiss on Peyton's lips, before getting up.

"Hey it's Monday right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Peyton chuckled, as she pulled an outfit out of their closet for work.

"I thought it was supposed to be mellow. Didn't we tire them out this weekend?"

Peyton laughed, pointed a hanger at him and said, "At least Anna is letting you get a nap in."

Shaking his head he walked out of their bedroom, sighing when Peyton yelled "And change her shirt Luke," after him. Anna was still wearing that damned Floyd shirt.

Lucas walked into the nursery to find Anna patiently picking up William's toys, even as he kept tossing them out.

"Hey Scoot," he greeted leaning on the guard rail to look into the eyes that were his match. William favored him with a solemn look and a soft "dada" and then tossed his blanket out of the crib. "You planning an escape there kiddo?"

"Baba," was his reply. He looked at his items on the floor, bounced up and down, and then up at his father expectantly.

"He wants them back," Anna supplied, her arms full of stuffed animals. Lucas sighed. There are really too many things in his crib.

Picking William up, he took him to the changing table, nearly tripping over Anna who was crouched down, trying to fit another teddy bear in her already full arms.

"Anna, sweetie, how about one at a time," he suggested, as he changed a wriggling William's diaper.

Anna ignored him though and all the toys fell out of her arms at once, landing in a pile at her feet. This didn't seem to bother her though as she began to pick them all up again.

Laughing, Lucas picked an out fit for William and changed his clothes quickly, dressing him in a blue striped tee shirt and little red cargo shorts. He decided to forgo the shoes and socks, knowing they would just end up strewn across the floor before breakfast was even finished.

"Okay, Anna banana, lets go get some grub."

"Grub! Ew," Anna giggled, throwing herself on the ground for no apparent reason. Lucas shook his head, wondering where she got all her energy from.

"Okay, nut. Let's go," Lucas chuckled. Still giggling to herself, Anna took his waiting hand and they trooped down the stairs and into a (for once) Haley-less kitchen.

He set William in his high chair, which the baby immediately began banging on with the flat of his hands and helped Anna into her chair. As Lucas put the coffee on and began making breakfast, strains of music could be heard from the radio Peyton had turned on upstairs and Anna and Lucas began humming along.

"Daddy are we gonna see your friend today?" Lucas raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Oh, I don't know sweets. Probably." He set her breakfast down in front of her and went back to the counter. "Would you like to see her?"

"Yes. She has pretty hair like my dolls," Anna replied, around a mouthful of bananas.

"Baby, don't talk with your mouth full," Lucas admonished the little girl as the phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"Morning Luke."

"Hey Hales," Lucas greeted, setting a bowl of bananas down in front of his son. "Are you calling from my living room or your house?"

"My house, you idiot," Haley snapped, playfully. Lucas chuckled.

"Did you get much sleep last night? I hope you guys didn't stay awake too long cleaning up. I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer to help clean up."

"Oh it's alright Luke. Brooke actually helped with the clean up."

"Brooke Davis cleaning something? She really has changed hasn't she," Lucas joked, making Haley chuckle a bit.

"She did what she could. How was your night? I'll bet you and Peyt were out like lights as soon as you got home."

"Oh-um……mmhm," Lucas murmured noncommittally. On the other end Haley rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Hey, let's not talk about my sex life this morning, huh Hales?"

"I didn't say anything about sex. But since _you_ did, let me just say, holy crap don't you two ever sleep?"

Laughing, Lucas took a sip of his coffee. "What's up Hales?"

"I was just wondering what you were up to today. Nate just left for Wilmington and I gotta take the kids to the doctor soon. I feel bad leaving Brooke here by herself."

"If Martha Stewert were dead she's roll in her grave," Lucas teased, taking on a mock serious tone. Haley snickered and in the background Lucas heard James yell, "We don't have to go to the doctor today mom! You can stay here with Brooke!" followed by an enthusiastic "Yeah!" from Amalia.

"Yeah, nice try guys," Haley said to them.

Lucas laughed and said, "Well actually I was thinking about calling Brooke later to see if she wanted to brave the kiddy scene with me today."

"Oh……Well I guess that would be okay," Haley said slowly.

"Why wouldn't it be? What, are you bogarting your houseguest now?"

"No no, I just…I dunno. Brooke Davis at the park, you know?"

"If Brooke is willing to help clean I'm sure going to the park with me won't be that much of a chore," Lucas replied as Peyton walked in. He winked at her and handed her a cup of coffee.

"You know this'll give all those park moms something to talk about, right," Haley said wryly. Every mother in Tree Hill who had children playground age knew who Lucas Scott was. He was there every day with his kids and all the mothers, married and single were there at the same time like clockwork. It wasn't often that they got a man at the park; It was less often that said man was as stone cold sexy as Lucas Scott.

"Oh gimme a break," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Do you know if is she had other plans?"

"I'm not sure yet. She hasn't-Oh here she is. Hold on."

"Is that Haley?" Peyton asked as she sat down next to William, who was chanting "Mama" at her. Lucas nodded.

"Luke," Brooke greeted after Haley handed her the phone.

"Oh Brooke, hey. Good morning," Lucas said, sitting down at the breakfast table with his family.

"Good morning yourself," was Brooke's raspy morning reply. "What's this about dragging me to the park?"

"Oh I mean if you don't wanna go, I'd understand," Lucas chuckled. He glanced up at Peyton who was noisily kissing a giggling William's cheek.

"No no, um is Peyton coming?"

"No she's gotta go to work," Lucas sighed, sticking his tongue out at Peyton who stuck her tongue out right back, making Anna giggle.

"Oh," Brooke said, feigning more disappointment than she felt. "Well, I guess I could drag myself away from all the important shopping I have to do today," she joked.

"Great, um I'll pick you up in four hours. That should give us enough time to get ready right?"

"Ha ha," Brooke said, thinking he was referring to her taking hours to get ready.

"I'm serious. I might have to hose William down after breakfast," Lucas chuckled, looking at his son whose face was covered in bananas. He made a face as Peyton let the baby feed her one of his banana pieces.

"Great," Brooke beamed.

"Hey you wanna talk to Peyton? She's sitting right here….eating her son's breakfast."

"Oh, um sure," Brooke replied. Peyton took the phone from Lucas just as William tossed his bowl of bananas on the floor.

"Awwww, William," Lucas sighed.

"Uh oh," William said, leaning over to watch his father clean up his mess.

"Yeah, uh oh," Lucas echoed.

"B Davis," Peyton greeted, happily. "So I hear you got a hot date today. Anyone I know?"

"Maybe P Sawyer," Brooke played along. "It's a small world after all."

"Ha ha-Oh you know what you should come see my studio!" Peyton cried. "Baby, bring her to my art studio,"

"Yes dear," Lucas replied, throwing away the banana that had fallen on the floor.

"I wanna go see Mommy at her studio too," Anna cried, bouncing in her chair.

"Aw, I was gonna leave you in the car," Lucas joked as Anna pouted at him.

"Mommy! Daddy's putting me in the car!"

"Mommy is on the phone," Peyton sighed and then rolled her eyes at Lucas who hadn't finished laughing at his daughter yet. "Tell Daddy if he leaves you in the car you won't let him have his nap."

"Yeah! You don't get your nap," Anna giggled.

"No na'," William cried at the dreaded n word.

"Looks like none of us are getting n-a-p-s," Lucas sighed. "I was just kidding, baby girl. I wouldn't leave you anywhere."

"Um, wow Peyton," Brooke said, at the commotion on Peyton's end of the line.

"Yeah, welcome to every morning in my world," Peyton laughed.

"Well, I've gotta say you're super perky this morning. What did you get a double shot of espresso?"

Peyton thought back to the night before. She was always extra peppy the morning after some good lovin' from Lucas. "Something like that," Peyton smirked at Lucas, who looked at her questioningly.

"So do you wanna come down to see my studio today or what?"

"Sure. Just so long as it doesn't cut into park time."

"Oh of course not. You'll probably end up leaving early anyway, because William will insist on trying to eat dirt or grass and Lucas will have to pack them up and leave."

"Why?"

"It's either that or the emergency room. That kid is fast," Peyton replied, ruffling the baby's unruly curls. William turned to stare at his mother with moony blue eyes and a sweet smile.

"Well, okay. I'd like to come see where Peyton Sawyer makes her cheese,"

"Did you say cheese? Man Skillz Taylor strikes again," Peyton giggled, making Lucas laugh too.

Brooke was confused a moment before getting the joke. "He rubs off on you doesn't he."

"He sure does. Oh, crap I gotta get going, but tell Haley I said hey and to call me and I'll see you later."

"Will do Sawyer," Brooke replied before hanging up and realizing she would be seeing Peyton later _with_ Lucas and she'd forgotten to mention Rachel to them. Shit.

"So you got a hot date today with B. Davis huh? Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Peyton teased.

"Stop," Lucas chuckled, glancing at the children who were in the living room, watching television. "You want me to pick you up something from Mom's for lunch?"

"Yes, please. You know what I like," she smirked before turning to the children. "Okay guys. Give me hugs."

Anna jumped up and ran into Peyton's waiting arms. "Bye Momma," she whispered.

"You make sure Daddy doesn't bring me anything yucky for lunch," Peyton said, making the little girl giggle.

"Like worms," Anna laughed throwing her head back to giggle at her own joke. Peyton laughed at her daughter's silliness.

"Yeah, like worms." She gave her one more kiss and sent her off with a pat on the bottom and then sighed at a grave looking William. He hated it when she left and Peyton thanked God he chose to communicate his displeasure with a brooding face rather than tears. If he started to cry she would probably never leave the house ever again.

"Come here baby," she cooed. The baby toddled into her arms and she picked him up and sat down on the couch with him while Lucas watched sympathetically from the doorway.

"I didn't get enough morning time with my special baby boy, did I? No," Peyton whispered, snuggling him close to her chest.

"Mommy loves you," she whispered. "Both of you."

"Me too," Anna replied, without turning away from the television, making she and Lucas chuckle. After a few more moments she kissed William's curls and cheeks and set him down next to his sister, who scooted closer to him and began patting the unhappy baby's back.

Peyton walked over to the door way where Lucas stood smiling down at the children and turned to look at her babies. Peyton didn't leave every day. Some days she could actually work from home. Molly was so proficient, she didn't always have to go. But the days she did, man she hated leaving them.

"She's really gonna make a great mother one day," Peyton sighed. Their baby girl was already showing mothering instincts. Anna was a little sparkplug, but when it came to her baby brother she had vast amounts of patience and gentleness.

"Yeah," Lucas sighed. "When she's fifty."

"Luke," Peyton giggled, glancing at the clock. "I gotta go," she sighed once again. "So what time are you bringing Brooke by?"

"I dunno," Lucas replied, as they walked to the door hand in hand. "Twelve thirty. Maybe one? I guess it depends on how much of the park Brooke can handle, but it'll give us some time to catch up you know?"

"Yeah," Peyton replied hollowly. She honestly didn't feel threatened or jealous that her husband would be spending the day with his ex-girlfriend. It was Brooke she was worried about.

"Hey," Lucas called, getting her attention. "We aren't back to that are we?"

"No. We aren't, Luke. We were never there. I trust you."

And Lucas smiled because he knew it was the truth. "She's going through a rough time right now."

"I know," Peyton replied with a frown. She smiled then and said, "I'm going to leave the studio early today to see if she wants to visit some of our old haunts."

"That's great Peyt, but remember we have dinner with Skillz and Bevin tonight too."

"Oh right they're leaving tomorrow morning! I completely forgot. Well she's here indefinitely right? Tonight should be a fun night too."

"Yeah. I think the best thing for her right now is to have as many friendly faces around as possible, ya know?"

Peyton nodded and reached out to hug him goodbye. Lucas hummed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Have a good day, baby," he whispered. Peyton smiled into his neck.

"You too."

Lucas pulled back and leaned in to kiss her. "Remember that rain check," he mumbled into her lips making her giggle.

"You know I will," she replied, before he tightened his grip on her and deepened the kiss.

"Ahem!"

They both parted slowly, knowing it was their equally nosy and prudish neighbor Mrs. Bean.

"Good morning Mrs. Bean," they both chimed together, like school children. The old woman, gripping her newspaper only harrumphed and waddled back inside, while her husband, less nosey and far nicer, grinned at them and waved.

"Good morning Mr, Bean," Lucas called.

"Lovely day, lovely day," The man said as a reply and followed his wife back inside his house.

Peyton was about to walk off the stoop when Lucas yanked her back for one more kiss.

"I'm gonna be late you silly," she admonished half-heartedly. She let herself get swept up in one more sweet kiss before they both reluctantly pulled away.

"I'll see you later, babe," she said, before walking to her old convertible and hopping in.

Lucas stayed to watch her drive away with a wave. He was about to turn around when Anna appeared beside him with William standing next to her covered head to toe in dirt.

"Awww, William what did you do," he groaned. The baby merely pouted at him, still upset that his sister had dragged him away from his conquest.

"He tried to eat the plant an' I wouldn't let him, but he already got in the dirt," Anna shrugged.

"I can see that," Lucas sighed, picking the dirty boy up. "Thank you baby girl. Wills, how did you even get to a plant?"

William continued to pout and Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well now you need a bath."

They trooped back inside and Lucas groaned once more seeing the trail of dirt on their living room carpet. Peyton would blow a gasket. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Haley's house number. On the fourth ring Brooke answered.

"Hey Brooke?"

"Oh hey, Broody. We still on?"

"Um, yeah, but uh…..can we make it a little later," He asked, as he stripped the dirty clothes off his son. He then looked down at his own clothes which were now soiled as well. "Um, like a lot later…..?"

"What happened?"

"A plant disaster," he replied, plopping an unhappy baby boy into the tub.

"Oh no," Brooke laughed.

"Yeah, I gotta clean him up and do something with that carpet before Peyton sees it and flips her lid. Plus I have to change my clothes now and Anna isn't even dressed."

"It's okay Daddy. I can just wear this today," Anna replied from her place on the closed toilet seat.

"Oh no you are not," Lucas shot back. Lucas could just imagine going to Peyton's studio with Anna wearing that blasted shirt for the second day in a row. He would never hear the end of it.

"No need to worry Broody. But it sounds like you have your hands full. Need some assistance?"

"You want to help clean my carpet?"

"Lets not go nuts," Brooke replied. "I'll come over and lend whatever abilities I have to the situation."

Lucas raised his eyebrows on his end of the phone, thinking the utilizing of her abilities meant Anna would probably end up dressed like Britney Spears. Instead he said,

"Do you mind walking? I mean it's only three blocks, but…"

"I don't mind Broody. Just tell me which way to turn."

Lucas sighed. "I really appreciate this, Brooke."

"Anytime, Luke," Brooke smiled. He couldn't possibly get mad at her for offering his house up to Rachel after helping him out in a pinch right? "So, which way do I go?"

**Thanks for being patient guys!**

**Review please!**


	15. Chapter 15

Brooke approached the blue two story, colonial style home and stood back, impressed. There was a white wrap around porch and a weeping willow in the yard that she knew were Lucas's doing. Back when they had been together and planning a future together that would never be, he had often said his dream home was entirely romanticized and embarrassingly cliché. There were a few toys scattered on the lawn and a basketball hoop above the garage were Keith's old Mustang and the family's Range Rover sat.

The house seemed lived in and loved and she hadn't even gone inside yet. She hadn't pictured herself with the white picket fence in a very long time. She figured the city had sucked her dreams out of her. Every dream except Lucas….

Walking up the front steps she knocked on the door and waited. There was some shuffling and then the door swung open to reveal an out of breath Lucas.

"Brooke, hey!" He leaned in to kiss her cheek casually in greeting, not really thinking anything of it.

"Oh-um, Lucas. Hi," Brooke stuttered, looking pointedly at the squirming baby in Lucas's arms, who was naked except for a diaper and a pacifier tucked snugly in his mouth. And the baby wasn't the only one practically naked and that was why she was keeping her eyes planted on the baby.

"So I didn't know this was a topless park we were going to," she joked, trying to force her eyes not to travel down to the washboard abs.

"Oh yeah," Lucas laughed looking down at his bare chest. "I didn't have time to put a shirt on or dress him cause Anna spilled juice everywhere. Come in," Lucas said holding the door open for her. Brooke forced herself to move passed him.

Her cheek was on fire and seeing him with his son was still jarring because they looked so much alike. She had to admit, they made an adorable pair and once again she wished….it was all hers.

Clearing her throat, Brooke spoke. "So is this the little plant killer, huh?" Brooke smiled, down at the baby, who pulled his pacifier out of his mouth, tossed it carelessly in the air, much to his father's annoyance, began sucking on his fingers and stared at her with big blue eyes. She heard the television on in the other room and assumed that was where Anna was.

"The one and only," Lucas replied. "Say hi, William."

The baby only scrambled to get down. "Sorry, he's on a rampage. Just wait till I put him in his playpen." He rolled his eyes at her. He gestured for her to follow and she did, taking in the inside of the house...and the muscles in his back and his ass.

She followed him into the family room where there was a prominent streak of dirt and soil ground into the red carpet. William's playpen was set up in the corner.

"I'm runnin' way behind," Lucas said behind her, setting the already angry baby in his play pen. "Yeah I know, buddy. This is what happens when you destroy Mommy's plants."

William frowned up at him and sat down heavily on a diapered bottom, still scowling. He hadn't had time to put clothes on William, because Anna had decided she was thirsty and went to get juice…..that she had spilled all over the kitchen floor.

Lucas had just started cleaning that up when Brooke rang the door bell.

This he told Brooke before walking into the kitchen. Brooke had to hand it to him. He barely looked frazzled, which was impressive considering the morning he was having. He was used to this kind of craziness, though.

She glanced at William, who seemed to have forgotten he was upset and was busy trying to look at a picture book.

Brooke glanced around the room, still aware that Lucas was prattling at her from the kitchen. The house was very familiar, only because it belonged to her best friend and ex-boyfriend, two people she knew-or used to know-better than anyone. There was art work all over the blue walls, one wall had an extensive cd collection mounted on black shelving. The home was hip, colorful, and warm.

William sighed loudly for no apparent reason other than he'd seen adults do it, drawing Brooke's attention to the baby momentarily. He was still ignoring her, so she walked to the mantle where a bunch of pictures sat.

Some of them she recognized because the same ones were on Nathan and Haley's mantle, but there were pictures here that belonged solely to this Scott family that broke her heart. A very pregnant Peyton with Lucas's strong arms wrapped around her; a glowing picture of Peyton in the garden holding her pregnant belly, smiling mischievously at the camera; a candid picture of Lucas sleeping on the couch with two tiny blondes laying on his chest; a beautiful family portrait. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at a photo of a smiling Derek holding a giggling Anna next to Peyton holding William as an infant.

The one that really caught her attention, though was the wedding picture. It couldn't have been anything else. Lucas was wearing a charcoal suit and Peyton was wearing a long flowy white sun dress. Peyton's happy eyes were looking at the camera and Lucas's gaze was directly on her. Like he was staring at the kind of sunset that took your breath away.

"Hi! You remember me? I'm Anna!"

Surprised, Brooke tore her eyes away from the photo and down at the little girl who had popped up beside Brooke…wearing only pants. What is up with all the nakedness in this house, she thought.

"Anna," Lucas cried, appearing from the kitchen. "Where is your shirt?"

"You said I couldn't wear it," the little girl replied innocently of her beloved Floyd shirt.

"That didn't mean take it off that second ," Lucas sighed. Brooke couldn't help smothering a smile and Lucas chuckled at his daughter's innocent reasoning.

"You aren't wearing one either," Anna added throwing her hands on her hips. Lucas rolled his eyes at her and Anna turned big eyes back to Brooke.

"Of course I remember you," Brooke answered the little girl's previous question, kneeling down in front of her.

"We have the same middle name."

"Your middle name is Elizabeth Penelope?"

"Just Penelope," Brooke smiled.

"Oh," Anna shook her head, sadly at the woman's apparent stupidity. "That's not the same."

"Baby, Elizabeth is for Mommy's birth mother and Penelope is after Brooke. Remember?" Lucas explained walking up to the two and kneeling down as well. "This is the Brooke your mother named you after."

Anna looked unimpressed until Brooke flipped her hair over her shoulder. She reached out boldly and fingered it.

"Your hair is pretty like my dolls," she commented, sweetly. She tilted her head and looked up at her through her thick lashes and Brooke suspected with amusement that this was how the child had everyone wrapped around her finger. "Can I brush it?"

"Sure," Brooke smiled, glancing at Lucas. "Tell you what, how about I take you upstairs and help you find the perfect outfit and then I can do your hair for you?" Brooke asked, kneeling down in front of Peyton's mini-me. Big green eyes snapped in delight.

"Okay!"

Brooke took her hand and stood. "Do what you need to do, Broody," Brooke said.

Lucas smiled, appreciatively, although he still had thoughts of Britney Spears running through his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I do this for a living. I'm great at this," Brooke shrugged with the usual Davis confidence. With a wink she let the four year old lead her up the stairs and to her bedroom which was painted a deep purple.

"So….." Brooke started, realizing she had nothing to say to a four year old. "Um, what's your favorite….um-"

"You like my room? I picked the color out all by myself cause Mommy and Daddy let me! Mommy says I have good eyes for color, but I don't know what that means!"

"Oh," Brooke said surprised. Maybe she wouldn't have to do that much talking. Unlike her parents, Anna loved to talk. And she had that adorable tendency, that only a small child could have, to practically yell everything she said in her excitement. Brooke was already in love with her.

"Your Mommy still paints right?" At the little girl's nod, she said, "Your mommy means you are very good at picking out colors that complime-go together."

"Gramma says I'm a chip off the ol' block and so does grampa! Do you know my Gramma and Grampa? They aren't married," Anna, who was bouncing on her bed, managed to say all of this in one breath.

"Yes I do. I know them very well," Brooke replied, smiling down at the talkative little Scott, while she went though her closet. "Do you like skirts?"

"No, but mommy makes me."

"At least I taught her something," Brooke mumbled under her breath. "You're mommy is right."

"Daddy likes it when mommy wears skirts. He says so," the little girl said, knocking her foot on her bed as she swung it.

"Oh….that's…..nice. Oh! Here," Brooke pulled out a little red and white striped sundress and waved at it like Vanna White. "This is adorable!"

"I like that dress!" Anna cried, feeding off Brooke's enthusiasm.

"Well good, little girl, cause you're putting it on."

Lucas had just finished cleaning the carpet as best he could with William watching his every movement.

"You're enjoying this right," Lucas said to the boy. "Are you punishing me for something?"

William giggled at Lucas and reached up for him with an excited cry of "dada!" Lucas grinned, his heart thoroughly warmed. Hearing those words out of his children's mouths still threw him for a loop sometimes. Sometimes Peyton would catch him watching the children playing or watching television with tears in his eyes. He still, after four years of being a parent, couldn't believe he was finally a father.

_"The kind of father I knew you'd be and Keith knew you'd be," Whitey had said to him a year after Anna was born. Whitey had come over for Sunday dinner and they were sitting outside on the back patio watching Anna in the yard with Peyton creeping about on a blanket she had set out for her. He and Whitey had been talking about Dan. _

Neither Lucas nor Nathan had gone to see him since he'd been put away and it was something neither of them talked about, but it was a hidden hurt that stayed with them. Because no matter what type of monster he was-he was still their father. Lucas had wanted so badly for Keith to be alive to see his baby daughter and to tell him he was doing well, he needed to dear it so badly. His fear, as irrational as it was, had been in becoming Dan and having the sins of his father visit him.

That day Lucas had looked out across the yard to watch his daughter on hands and knees with her mother close behind, the sun glinting off their golden hair and he suddenly realized….he could let it go. Dan's sins could never touch him….not with the way he felt staring at his precious baby girl. "My baby girl," he'd whispered softly to himself. And although he was hit with the sheer joy of his family before and it would hit him again and again for the rest of his years, tears sprung to his eyes. He wiped them away, furtively, but Whitey saw them and smiled.

"I've shed tears for you boys. You know Camilla and I never had any of our own, but as far as I'm concerned you were all my boys and I've cried for you, Luke. Every time Danny did wrong by you and your brother, I shed a tear. Every time you and your brother succeeded; When I watch you soar, I shed a tear. Don't ever be ashamed of the tears you shed for your family, son. It's what makes you more of a man than Dan will ever be and why Keith is looking down on you and the man you've become and is smiling right now."

"Come here, baby boy," Lucas cooed, just as the phone rang. He picked William up and held him against his chest, leaning down to kiss the baby's forehead.

"I love you William," he said, rubbing the baby's back.

"Baba! Ba! Dada! Yuyuyu," William responded, patting Lucas's shoulders. Lucas laughed, and pecked the baby on his puckered little lips, before grabbing the phone.

He then sat down on the couch with William, pressing the baby to his chest and stroking his golden curls.

"Hello."

"Hey Luke. What's up man? It's Jake."

"Hey man, what are you up to?"

"Nothin, much man. I was gonna see if Brooke wanted to hang out since everyone is at work, but there's no answer at Nate and Haley's and I don't have her new number. She's probably shopping, anyway so I just called to see what you were up to."

"Oh, uhm, Brooke's here, dude," Lucas replied, patting William's concave back. William was staring at him, a strange pass-time which he and his sister seemed to enjoy. Lucas made a face and the baby dissolved into a fit of raucous giggles.

"Oh…Brooke is with you?" Jake had a hard time frowning on his end of the phone after hearing William laugh.

"Yeah," Lucas said, raising an eyebrow at Jake's bizarre tone. "We're going to the park with the kids and then swinging past my mom's to get lunch and then down to the gallery. You wanna come?"

Jake sighed and shook his head at his own ridiculousness. What the heck was he thinking? "Yeah, that'll be great. I'll just meet you guys there then?"

"Sure. But give us like twenty minutes. Will got into one of the plants so I had to shop-vac the carpet."

"Again?" Jake laughed.

"Yeah I just finished cleaning the carpet, but I gotta go get him dressed."

"Alright, well I'll meet you at the park then. I just remembered Skillz and Bevin are leaving so everyone is gonna be at Tric later."

"Yeah I had to remind Peyton," Lucas laughed. "We might have to cut the park trip a bit short, but I'll see ya in a bit man." Lucas pressed end and dropped the phone on the couch. "You ready to get dressed again?"

William babbled some words at him, pressing clammy drool covered little hands on his face. Lucas kissed his them and nibbled on his tiny fingers making growling noises, causing the baby to squeal and giggle with delight and Lucas to laugh.

"Okay Daddy, I think we found the perfect outfit," Brooke cried, strutting into the living room with Anna beside her. She stopped abruptly seeing Lucas still half naked, sitting on the couch with William straddling his stomach, still only wearing a diaper. They made such a cute pair they could be an ad campaign for single women who are too busy with careers to start a family.

"Well that's not fair. You made Anna put on clothes and you are still without," Brooke said, throwing a hand on her hip. Lucas craned his neck towards her and chuckled.

"I'm a parent. I'm not supposed to be fair."

"That starts when she gets into the double digits, broody. Don't you know anything?" Lucas made a face at the thought of his daughter turning ten. He sometimes wished he could freeze them at this age.

"What's a broody?" Anna's s overly loud voice piped in. Lucas laughed.

"Never mind baby girl," Lucas chuckled waving Anna over to him. "Come here. Look at you, pretty," Lucas cooed. Anna grinned and ran to Lucas scrambling up on the couch next to him.

"Look at my dress Daddy! It's 'dorable!"

"That is adorable, baby girl," Lucas enthused, with a chuckle. "Mommy got you that dress remember?"

"It gots matching undies," Anna said lifting up her dress to show Lucas the shorts that he knew went with them, because Peyton had to constantly tell her to stop flashing people the last time she wore it.

"I know baby, but please keep your dress down at the park okay?"

"Kay," she said absently and he knew he'd be reminding her countless times to put her dress down. "William is naked," she giggled, shoving her face into William's face. The baby found it amusing and shrieked with laughter, patting his sister's face.

"I know, we gotta get dressed and get outta here," Lucas said, standing up. "Did you thank Brooke for helping you change?"

"Yes," the girl replied, sprawling herself out of the couch and pushing a strand of hair out of her face that had freed itself from her pigtails.

"Good girl. Hey Brooke, Jake is meeting up with us at the park," Lucas said stopping in front of Brooke and shifting William to one hip.

Brooke wasn't quite sure what she said as a reply. Having Lucas this close to her without a shirt on was really fucking with her. Her eyes flicked from his, large biceps, to his washboard abs, to the trail of hair that made its way down to disappear at the waistband of his low slung jeans.

He had definitely been working out since she last saw him. He'd always been the scrawnier of the Scott brothers, but now….She hadn't felt this flustered in quite some time-years actually. Not since Chase.

At the thought of Chase, Brooke frowned. Had it all gone wrong because of the man standing in front of her, looking so damn sexy, staring at her with those smoldering blue eyes full of concern, and holding his son whose mother was once her best friend?

"Brooke?"

"What?"

"Hey, where'd you go," Lucas asked, his brows furrowing with concern.

"I was just-thinking about Chase. Sorry," she shook her head, looking down at her feet so she would stop staring at his pecs.

"Hey don't apologize," Lucas replied sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Brooke's shoulder. "I know it's hard, but we're all here for you Brooke."

"Thank you Luke," Brooke whispered. Lucas nodded, looking at her a moment longer and then turned.

"I'll be right back," he said, before making his way up the stairs. Brooke let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding and turned to find Anna once again, standing right next to her.

"When did you know my mommy and daddy?"

"In high school," Brooke replied, sitting down beside, Anna on the couch.

"Dat's when Daddy and Mommy fewl in yuv! Daddy says so!"

"Oh," Brooke said after a long moment.

"Aunt Haley and Uncold Natan fewl in yov and gots married and had my cousin James in high school. They were busy!"

Brooke couldn't help it. You couldn't not smile listening to Anna's matter of fact yelling.

"They were pretty busy," Brooke laughed, smiling down at the four year old.

"Who did you fall in yuv wiff?"

"Um…What do you mean sweetie?"

"High School is for falling in yuv! Who did you fall in yuv wit?"

Brooke was quiet, both considering how she should explain to Anna that high school wasn't actually for falling in love, as well as the answer to that question. Just then a fully clothed Lucas jogged down the steps with William in one arm, wearing denim shorts with a blue striped shirt and a diaper bag hanging on his other arm.

"You guys ready?"

"Yeppers," Anna exclaimed, running to the door, leaving Brooke to follow them out the door. They all piled into the Range Rover and drove the short distance to the park. Anna talked the entire way there and William managed to pull off and throw both of his shoes into the front seat, one of them managing to pop Brooke in the face.

"William, no!" Lucas admonished, glaring into the rearview mirror. He turned to Brooke and shrugged. "Sorry. He doesn't like shoes."

"Or me apparently," Brooke joked. Lucas chuckled and shut off the car, reaching down to collect the wayward shoes. "Oh baby converse sneaker? You've got to be kidding me," Brooke laughed.

"He is Peyton's son," Lucas said by way of reply before climbing out of the car. Brooke followed suite, spying Jake walking towards them.

"Hey guys," Jake greeted, walking up to the Range Rover. He hugged Brooke hello and opened the back door of the SUV.

"Jake!" Anna squealed from the back seat, waiting patiently for someone to unbuckle her from her child seat.

"Hey, girlie," Jake greeted unbuckling Anna and pulling her out of the car. He gave her a big hug and set her on her feet and she grinned up at him.

"My dress is dorable! Brooke helped me choose it!"

"Oh well Brooke does have impeccable taste," Jake smiled as he knelt in front of the little girl. "You look very pretty."

"It gots matching undies!" She threw her dress up in the air and Brooke threw a hand to her mouth to cover her burst of laughter. Jake chuckled,

"They're very cute, Anna banana," he offered, glancing at Lucas who was rolling his eyes.

"Anna! Dress down. What did I say before we left the house," Lucas asked with a sigh, coming from the other side of the car with William and diaper bag in tow.

The little girl shrugged and looked up at him innocently. "Lots of things."

"You can't just go around lifting your dress in public," Lucas explained gently but sternly.

"Ohhhhhh, that one. Why? The matching undies is the best part."

"Because…..because you are a little lady and ladies don't…do that," Lucas finished weakly.

"Oh. Does that mean I can't be on the monkey bars?" Anna pouted at him and Jake and Brooke chuckled. "If I'm on the monkey bars I'll be upside down and my dress will go up in the air."

"No, babe you can go on the monkey bars," Lucas sighed. The little girl looked at him like he didn't know what he was talking about and took his hand.

Jake touched Brooke's arm and she hung back a bit with him, looking at him, questioningly.

"Watch this," Jake said, gesturing towards Lucas and the kids as they approached the playground.

There were a few women standing in a group while their children played. One woman elbowed another and then they were none too subtly watching Lucas approach with the kids.

"Good morning ladies," Lucas greeted.

"Hi Lucas," they all chorused. There was a smattering of girlish giggles and hair tossing.

Brooke snorted and looked with amusement to Jake. "Seriously? He has a fan club of soccer moms," she laughed. "That's priceless."

"It's hilarious. He's like a god here. And when Nathan joins him? Forget about it," Jake laughed. "It's a good thing Luke is oblivious to all that female attention otherwise no one would be watching the kids."

"You think he's really oblivious to that?" Brooke said dubiously. Smiling softly as Lucas climbed into the sandbox with his children while the mothers drooled.

"Well maybe not completely oblivious, but he is pretty single-minded when his family is around."

"Does…Peyton ever come here?" Brooke asked innocently.

"Yeah, sometimes. She doesn't always go in to the studio," Jake replied. "Molly does great running the place on her own."

They sat down on a bench close by and watched Lucas play with the children in the sand box for awhile.

"He's a really great dad isn't he," Brooke said quietly. Jake glanced back at her and nodded.

"Yeah, he is," he replied, chuckling as he held onto the backs of William's shorts with one hand as they baby tried to run off and with the other brushed sand out of Anna's hair. "Hold on a sec," he laughed.

Jake got up and walked over to the sand box and scooped the baby up in his arms and tossed him in the air, making the baby squeal with laughter.

"I got this bugger, Luke."

"Thanks man," Luke replied grinning up at him. He glanced back at Brooke who sat cross legged on a bench wearing heels and a skirt. He smiled and looked back at Jake.

"Let me know when she has enough." Jake followed his gaze and nodded.

"I'll keep her occupied," he said, walking back to the bench with William. "You don't mind walking do you? He wants to run," Jake said of the wriggling baby in his arms.

"Oh, um, sure." She got up and they followed William who seemed perfectly happy toddling around in the grass with no destination in mind.

"So how are you doing today…with the Chase stuff; the whole Lucas and Peyton thing. Has it sunk in yet?"

Brooke looked at him and rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Jake…"

"Come on, Brooke," Jake chuckled. "It's me here. If anyone can relate or sympathize it's me."

Brooke looked down and nodded. "Um, first of all I am trying to get over a five year relationship that just went down the crapper. That is first and foremost."

"I'm sure it is, but it seems you've seemed to fixate on Lucas and Peyton instead of trying to deal with breaking up with Chase if you don't mind my saying so,"

"Well of course I mind you saying so. You don't know me like that anymore."

"Yeah, but I'm a therapist so it's kind of my business to read you like that," Jake mentioned with an innocent clearing of his throat.

"Oh great," Brooke muttered. "Am I gonna get a bill at the end of the evening too?"

"No. Friending, as Haley would call, it is free," Jake grinned. Brooke rolled her eyes once again and Jake sobered a bit. "I remember two weeks after I came back to Tree Hill, still stuck on her and I was down by the beach and there they were having a picnic….at night. I figured they were on a date cause he was wearing a button down and slacks and she was wearing this sundress and she looked beautiful."

He smiled nostalgically at Brooke, keeping a careful eye on William. "It had been years Brooke and I had seen other people in that time and I'd figured since so much time had passed that Peyton had made her choice. I was still hung up though; still waiting and when I saw them that night it just sort of hit me that I'd lost her to him completely. They were dancing on the beach to the music in their own heads and the way she was looking at him, the way he made her laugh in a way I'd never been able to do….I just knew. That's when I started trying to get over it, for real."

Brooke glared at him somewhat sadly and said, "What are you saying I'm in denial or something?"

"Are you?"

"Yeah well…It's hard to stay in denial when you look at their kids right? I mean look at him," Brooke gestured to William who was crouched in the grass, tugging on a dandelion.

"He's the spitting image of Lucas with Peyton's curls. The second I saw him at the beach I knew. That's Lucas and Peyton's little boy." She shrugged her shoulders sadly.

"And Anna….well she's….just so…"

"So Peyton," Jake laughed. "She's got both her parents in her, but Anna is her own little person. All sass and a heart twice her size. She's gonna change the world some day."

Brooke looked away, memories flooding her mind of an empty room at a party from what seemed like ages ago. She looked back over to where Lucas was helping Anna across the monkey bars.

"I loved Chase. I did," Brooke said, almost to convince herself.

"I'm not saying you didn't. I'm just saying, I know how you feel now. It's okay to be sad about it Brooke. Lucas was your first love," Jake said with a shrug. "And Peyton was your best friend."

"Yeah, ya know," Brooke said, shaking her head. "I think I'd like to stay in denial for a little while longer."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone! Happy Holidays to all of you. I've had SO much stuff going on lately between exams, the holidays, and my 26th birthday. Also, to be honest I got a little stuck on all of my fics. I am planning on updating Journey and Bare Witness as soon as I can and I gotta say, I'm not 100 percent happy with this chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something. Thanks again for reading and all the amazing reviews and support. **

**Also if anyone has any ideas they want to run past me, please feel free to do so. :-) **

Karen Roe had found actual contentment only twice in her life; The brief time that she and Keith were together and right now.

It seemed she had been holding her breath, waiting for something like what she and Keith had found for the short time they had it. All of that had come crashing down around her the day Jimmy Edwards brought a gun to school, the day Lucas went back in after Peyton. The day she found out she was to bare a dead man's child and once again have to raise a child alone.

She had put on a brave face for Lucas and everyone else, but she was terrified to raise another child at her age by herself. After finding out who really killed the father of her child she found a strength in her once again that she thought she had lost. Dan had stolen a father from one too many of her children and this thought brought on the fierceness and determination to do it all again.

So once more Karen found her contentment, in a beautiful, caring, funny daughter that was the spitting image of her dead father, her café, which was doing better than ever, her friends, and her son who was her best friend and his family.

When Lucas and Peyton appeared in her café with matching Cheshire grins and asked her what she was doing at four o clock she had been thrilled. She'd only mentioned the quickness of their marriage because as a mother it was expected, but the news, and the glowing face of her boy when he gave it to her sent her over the moon.

It is every mother's desire for their son to meet the perfect woman. And for a mother it seems, there is no woman good enough for their little boy and truth be told when your son finds a woman to gaze at with the same adoration as he used to stare at you with, it's hard to swallow. But Peyton Sawyer was different. She had always been different and in the back of her mind, Karen knew that this was the woman who would marry her son and give him children.

She was thankful for the curly haired blonde in her son's life, not only because of the beautiful grandchildren she had given her, which was a large reason for her contentment and for her son's happiness, but because she had never seen her son so happy and so contented as well.

The day she realized Lucas had been right about Dan, broke her heart. And it was for the first time she really looked at her son and saw the hurt and exhaustion the whole situation had caused him and she hated herself for being the cause of his pain. She had betrayed her son and she had betrayed Keith, choosing the man who had left Lucas fatherless for his entire life and stole the one man who had stepped up to the plate. But with the birth of Lily neither of them had time to over think the pain of the past. Lucas had been more than ready to let it go and Karen decided for the sake of her daughter, she would let go of it too.

It was that summer after graduation that Karen saw something else different in her son. Her little boy was truly, madly, and deeply in love. He was impossible the entire summer, Peyton Sawyer was gone. If he wasn't hovering over her and Lily or at the Rivercourt, he was in his room writing long love letters to his girlfriend on the other side of the country or instant-messaging her, all the while sighing like a lovesick puppy and grinning like an idiot. This had been after he came back from visiting her and the moony smile on his face was the only thing that kept her from grounding him for leaving without telling her first. She was pretty sure he was too old to be grounded, anyway.

She'd never seen her son so giddy as the day Peyton returned from LA. He was walking on air and when he returned six and a half hours later holding Peyton's hand, they were both glowing, happy, and looking suspiciously flushed and rumpled considering the flight had landed five hours ago. Karen knew from that moment she saw them together that those two would never leave each other's sides again. And as they all sat down together to dinner they all smiled at one another and that was when they realized that the bad times were over. It was time for happiness.

"Gramma!" Karen looked up from the counter and grinned as Anna barreled towards her and William toddled after her giggling. Her son stood smiling in the doorway.

"Hey Ma," he greeted

"There are my babies," she greeted, throwing the dish towel she had in her hands over her shoulder. She rounded the counter and grunted playfully as Anna barreled into her and William followed suit.

"Oh what are they feeding you guys," Karen said, jokingly, winking at Lucas who stood at the counter, smiling. "You almost knocked me over!"

"I'm sorry Gramma. I'm very strong," Anna replied seriously, making her and Lucas laugh.

"Ga-ma!" William bounced up and up opening and closing little fists at her.

"I see you, little one," Karen cooed, picking him up and cradling him. She looked up to Lucas and smiled. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hey Ma. How's your morning?"

"Oh it was fine," Karen replied. "Bitsy Smith came in this morning, though." She rolled her eyes at him and he chuckled.

"Don't you think it's just about time to let that go?"

"Don't get me started. That woman-" She looked down at Anna who was smiling sweetly up at her. "Never mind. So, what have you guys been up to today?"

"We went to the park," Anna piped in. "I went on the swings and the monkey bars and the jungoo gym-"

"That's jungle gym baby," Lucas corrected.

"Thas whut I said," Anna cried throwing her hands on her hips and glaring at him briefly. Lucas shook his head in defeat and sighed at Karen.

"So you had fun at the park huh?"

"Yeah and I look dorable!" At this Karen fell into a fit of laughter and Lucas chuckled.

"You are adorable, sweetheart," Karen conceded as the bell above the door rang and Brooke and Jake walked in.

"Brooke!" Karen greeted with pleasant surprise in her voice. "How are you honey? Hey Jake."

"Hey Karen," they both greeted taking seats on either sides of Lucas.

"So how long do we get to enjoy your company Brooke?" Karen asked. Brooke shrugged, giving the woman a small smile. She'd always loved Karen, being drawn to her mothering ways when she herself was in need of one. They had grown close over the years and she regretted losing contact with the woman.

"Indefinitely," she replied cryptically.

"You know I don't think I've heard that word used so much in my entire life, yet Brooke Davis comes into town and I hear it at least fifty," Lucas joked.

"It's not my fault people want to know what I'm doing," Brooke replied cheekily. "It's the story of my life."

"That's what I hear miss famous fashion designer. So I take it you all are here to eat?"

"Sorry mom, but we gotta take it to go. I'm taking Brooke to see Peyton's studio and I told Peyt I'd bring her lunch."

"Oh I see," Karen replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "Your old mother is good for two things. Babysitting and lunch."

"Oh no mom," Lucas said, gently. "There's always dinner."

Karen swatted him and he ducked her, laughing. They placed their orders and Karen handed William to Lucas, before going back to fill the orders with Anna, who had run after her to help.

"You're gonna love Peyt's gallery Brooke," Lucas said, turning to the brunette, as he bounced William on his knee.

"You know, I always pictured her doing something with music, especially after the internship in LA. I mean she really loved it out there."

"She liked it well enough," Lucas said slowly. "But she actually hates LA," Lucas replied with a shrug at the baffled look on Brooke's face. Lucas shifted uncomfortably, realizing why Brooke was so confused. Peyton had been putting on her happy face the entire summer after Lucas had left. Of course Brooke didn't know how Peyton really felt about that summer LA. They were barely talking.

"What?"

"I think she was just trying to enjoy herself for your sake Brooke," he replied. "You know Peyton," Lucas shrugged. "She told me when she got home she liked it, but it wasn't for her."

Brooke frowned. She could tell from the moment Lucas left Peyton would be missing the hell out of him for the rest of the summer. And she never told Peyton this, but she had found her calendar with the days counting down to when she returned home to Tree Hill. Somehow, Brooke knew Peyton hadn't loved LA, but found herself trying to talk up the time Peyton had spent away from him.

"So, how long has she had the gallery?"

"Almost five years now," Lucas replied. "She does a lot of her own work, but also sells the work of local artists too. And once a years she hosts a show for high school artists and everything gets given to charity."

"Those are always really fun," Jake added with a smile.

"It's really great," Lucas grinned. "She's done such a great job with it. You' d be so proud of her, Brooke. I know I am."

It was an innocent statement, but it broke Brooke's heart and made her all the more jealous of Peyton to hear the sheer pride Lucas had for her work. All her own work managed to do was ruin her and Chase's relationship. Towards the end, he went to very few of her functions and when he did, he looked miserable.

"She's done good for herself," Brooke rasped.

"We could say the same thing for you miss fashion designer," Jake smiled, as Karen came out of the kitchen with Anna and their orders.

"Wow that was fast Mom," Lucas commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I had very good help," Karen replied, winking down at Anna who beamed back up at her.

"So what time will I see you to watch the kids?"

"I told Andy to get here at around three so that should leave plenty of time for you to drop the kids off on the way to Tric," Karen replied, stroking William's golden curls as the baby cooed.

"Great," Lucas sighed, standing he handed William to Karen and he and Jake and Brooke, picked up their bags. "Thanks for doing this mom."

"Are you kidding? Spending time with my grandchildren isn't a favor to you. Lily loves when they come over. I'll be lucky if I even get near them."

"I like Aunt Lily Gramma!" Anna cried, beaming up at Karen, who she thought was _almost _as cool as her mom, and that was saying a hell of a lot.

Chuckling, Karen replied, "Well Lily loves you too very much. She can't wait for you two to come over and play."

"Can we go now?" The little girl squealed jumping up and down, making everyone laugh.

"Baby," Lucas chuckled, "we're gonna go see Mommy and have lunch with her, remember?"

The girl stopped bouncing and said "Oh! Let's go! I wanna see my Mommy!"

"Just a second baby girl," he replied. He leaned in a kissed his mother's cheek.

"Luke, I was wondering if maybe you wanted me to keep the kids overnight. I know how going away parties at Tric can get and if you come in, late you'll have to wake the kids up. Besides it'll be quick night off for you and Peyton. Not that having the kids home stops you two, but at least you both won't have to try and be quiet."

"Ma!" Lucas cried, turning bright red, as Brooke choked on her iced tea behind him. Did Lucas's mother say what she thought she just said?!

"Sorry, Brooke," Karen said quickly to Brooke, who was still trying to catch her breath and also thinking of Rachel. So much for their evening alone, she thought, gaining a bit of satisfaction from it. "So?"

Lucas beamed at his mother and leaned in to kiss her again. "Mom, that would be amazing. Thank you. We should probably get going though, so I'll see you at three-thirty."

"Okay sweetheart." She said goodbye to Anna, William, Lucas, and Jake and then turned to Brooke, looking at her closely. The young woman looked like she had a very heavy load on her shoulders. She glanced back at Lucas and hoped this wasn't the beginning of any sort of drama. They had all managed to live their lives drama free for several years and she couldn't help but think, that with Brooke's return trouble was a foot.

"We haven't gotten to speak yet Brooke," Karen sighed. "I don't want you to think you can't still come to me if you need to talk. So if you'd like, I'm still in the same house. I think you know where it is."

"Yeah, I couldn't forget if I tried," Brooke replied, smiling gratefully.

"Good. Don't be a stranger."

Brooke smiled. "I won't. In fact I mean not to be."

OTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTH

"Deb called," Molly said popping into Peyton's office "She said everything is set for tonight's going away party at Trick."

"Awesome. I'm glad someone's on the ball. Lucas had to remind me about it this morning," Peyton laughed. Molly grinned and sat on the corner of Peyton's desk.

"Speaking of Lucas, missy. You are glowing this morning. I can only assume we have him to thank." Molly's green eyes danced at a blushing Peyton.

"Yes we can and once again you are not getting any details," Peyton smirked. It was one thing to be affectionate in public, it was quite another to share the intimate details.

"Numbers then," Molly threw her hands up. She was determined to get something out of her. When she was pumping her for sex info she reminded her of a red headed Brooke. "Two? Four? Over or under five? Come on! I'll even tell you mine. Jake and I shagged three times last night. Now you go."

Peyton raised her eyebrow at her. "You do know I'm your boss right? You haven't forgotten?" She wasn't serious and Molly knew this because she snorted at her.

"From the way you two were looking at each other last night I would say it was an all nighter. Was it an all nighter? Glasses on or off?"

"Molly!" Peyton exclaimed with a girlish giggle.

Molly threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine. We need to get you drunk tonight. You'll so give up the information."

"Oh geez. No wonder I went so long without Brooke. I have another one right here."

"Speaking of your friend, she seems nice."

"Yeah I like her," Peyton grinned, getting up and walking to her work area. Molly followed her.

"So what's the story with that?"

"Wow, I can't believe no one filled you in already."

"No-no. Jake gave me the edited version. Haley told me a bit here and there." Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Well Lucas and I had a connection first. I don't know how to describe it. There was just something there, but I was a huge bitch to him. I'm surprised he even wanted anything to do with me after some of the stuff I said and pulled. Anyway, Brooke had never been quiet about her desire for Lucas and I was hiding my feelings as usual. Anyway, I messed things up between us one night at a party. I really hurt him and Brooke just…swooped in."

"You don't sound bitter at all by the way," Molly joked. Peyton chuckled and shrugged. She stood up and Molly followed her out to the art gallery floor where some men were hanging various paintings.

"That one goes on the south wall," Peyton called to one, before turning back to Molly.

"Brooke knew I wanted him. She knew how hard it was for me to open up and she saw that he opened me up-"

"No pun intended-"

Scandalized and laughing, Peyton squealed, "Molly!"

"Sorry," the redhead giggled. Peyton rolled her eyes at her and fought to keep the smile that was tugging at her lips, off her face.

"Anyway after I hurt him he and Brooke bonded over…well me. Brooke took me to some college party and some guy slipped me something and Lucas came. He and Brooke took care of me and they got closer. By the time I got my head out of my own ass, he'd already moved on to her. And it-it killed me, but it was my fault. She acted like my problem wasn't that she went after someone she knew I wanted. I mean yeah I told her I was okay with it and that I wasn't into Lucas and that he wasn't into me, but-"

"A woman knows," Molly cut in with a raised eyebrow. "A best friend knows."

"Yeah, well-We both messed up. He cheated on her with me. We all fell apart and then he started dating her and I well-"  
"Jake and Haley filled everything in from there, more or less," Molly smiled. "I got to say it must be really hard to see her after all this time, especially knowing her and Lucas's past."

"Yeah, well," Peyton shrugged, noncommittally. She didn't really want to get into these hard feelings between her and Brooke.

"Just remember that you have him," Molly said, watching the emotions swirl behind her green eyes.

"I know," Peyton nodded quickly. "Trust me I know. It's just hard when the past is staring you in the face."

"And they have green eyes?" Molly asked with a raised brow. The statement hung between them unanswered. They both knew she was not talking about eye color.

Changing the subject Peyton pulled her cell phone out and said, "I wonder where Lucas is. He said he'd be here with Brooke and the kids a while ago."

"Well give him a call and see where he is," Molly offered. Peyton nodded and made her way to her office where her phone was. Pressing the speed dial on the phone.

"Hey Blondie," Lucas answered.

"Luke," Peyton answered with a sigh. "Where are you, babe? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah I'm sorry baby doll. I'm running behind today. Anna spilled juice everywhere in the kitchen and….um William got into a plant so-"

"Which one?"

"Um-The green one in the living room with the leaves that look like Sideshow Bob's hair."

"How the hell did he manage that?"

"I have no idea," Lucas chuckled. "But not to worry, I cleaned up the carpet and the kitchen and I think we can salvage the plant."

"Good," she said. She laughed hearing William's high pitched giggling in the background. "What's going on?"

"Oh, William thinks it's funny when Anna sticks her face right up in his face," Lucas replied shaking his head.

"They're so funny," Peyton chuckled in amusement.

"You almost done for the day baby?"

"Actually, I think by the time you get here I should be through. Molly has all this handled and the next gallery show should be amazing."

"Perfect. You wanted a roast turkey sandwich right?"

"Yes, please. I'm absolutely famished."

"Famished you say?"

Peyton spun around and grinned, finding her husband leaning against the doorframe of her office, shutting his cell phone. She wasn't sure how, but only Lucas Scott could make casually leaning against a doorframe sexy.

"Hey you," she whispered, shutting her own phone. He smiled, making her heart stop….even after all this time.

"Hey," he replied. Righting himself, he made his way across to her and swept her up into his arms. His tongue swept across the seam of her lips, begging entrance into the sweet depths of her mouth and she gladly gave it, wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning breathlessly as he kissed her senseless.

Lucas sat down on the edge of her desk and pulled her between his legs, his hands resting on her hips as they continued to…say hello.

As Lucas's tongue gently stroked her own, Peyton vaguely wondered what Lucas had done with the children. And where was Brooke?

Then she heard a shuffling of paper and an uneven pitter patter that she knew belonged to her son.

"Can we go in now Brooke? Mommy must be hungry!"

Peyton gasped and smacked his shoulder. "Brooke is out there? What is the matter with you," she hissed, turning red.

"Daddy's hungry too," Lucas shrugged with a grin.

"You are impossible," Peyton giggled, despite herself and leaned in for one more kiss, intending on going out there to fetch her children and relieve Brooke, afterwards. But Lucas's moan, changed her mind, and his lips were warm and soft, his tongue sensual and teasing.

Outside, Brooke tapped her foot in irritation. There had been no way of getting out of this and she knew if she backed out, Lucas and Peyton would suspect something and that was the last thing she wanted. Jealousy really was a strange emotion.

She felt like two different people. One person wanted so badly to be happy for Peyton and Lucas, but the other, wanted to rip him away from her. The other was in love with Lucas Scott and hated Peyton for stealing him from her. That part of her truly believed that had Peyton not meddled, it would be Peyton, Lucas dragged along to visit her fashion studio with her and Lucas's children. It would be Peyton who would have to suffer through watching her kissing Lucas. She glanced into the office and felt her stomach drop as she saw them deeply making out. Lucas's hands were cupping her ass, pressing her closer to him.

If Brooke closed her eyes she could feel his hands on her and the heat of his erection pressed against her core. She knew this type of thinking was very wrong and dangerous, but she couldn't help it. The 'other' Brooke seemed to be winning.

"Mom is taking the kids for the entire night," Lucas breathed. Peyton pulled back once again to grin.

"You mean I get you all to myself for an entire night?"

"Uncensored," he husked, before sucking on his favorite part of her neck. Peyton bit her lip, feeling her body responding.

"Lucas," she moaned in warning.

"Hum?" Lucas replied, unbuttoning the top button of her shirt. She slapped his hand away and re-buttoned it giving him a look to which he shrugged and grinned like a little boy.

She shook her head and laughed, then leaned up against him, suggestively. Her hands, stroked the insides of his thighs and he trembled. "I can't wait to get you alone."

"Mommy!"

"Fuck me," Lucas groaned in frustration, reliving the morning's interruption. Peyton grinned at him and whispered "later," seductively into his ear.

She pulled away and walked out of her office, leaving Lucas to calm himself.

"Mommy! We brought you lunch," Anna cried running up to her with a brown paper bag in her hands. Hot on her tail William toddled towards her with, holding a muffin and squealing, "Mama!"

"Hey my babies," Peyton greeted, kneeling down for hugs and kisses from her children. "Mmmm, let's see what we have."

"It's turkey Momma and William and I gots ham! But William tried to eat your muffin," Anna explained, briefly glaring at her little brother who was staring at Peyton and messily gnawing on what looked like a cornbread muffin…through the plastic.

"Ew, sweetie. That's yucky," she murmured, before taking the muffin from him. She looked up and grinned at Brooke.

"How was the park?"

"Very interesting," Brooke replied, slowly as Lucas wandered out of Peyton's office and went to stand beside his wife. Brooke cleared her throat, mentally trying to get her game face on. There they were. The perfect little freaking family.

"It's not quite Central Park, P Sawyer, but something tells me a lot of the moms enjoy the view there. I can't say I blame them," she added, flicking her eyes to Lucas and quickly looking back.

Peyton laughed nervously, swinging William up into her arms. Did she just check him out or am I being paranoid, she thought. She shook her head slightly, shaking off the thought.

"I take it you met the Lucas Scott fan club," she replied, turning smiling eyes up to her husband who was rolling his.

"They were eyeballing Jake too," Lucas shrugged, turning pink. Lucas knew he wasn't hideous, but he was self conscious about the attention he got based on his looks. Like his wife, he couldn't take a compliment to save his life and the day Haley had run to his house and showed him his face on the cover of some magazine he'd done an interview for, with the mortifying caption, "Reading just got Sexy," was the single most embarrassing day of his life. He couldn't leave the house without sunglasses for three weeks.

"Jake is with you?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, he met us at the park. He's out front with Moll-"

"Daddy I'm hungry!"

"Hey," he reprimanded. "Don't interrupt, baby. It's rude."

"I'm sorry," the girl pouted at him and he sighed, before ruffling her hair.

"Hey how about I feed these two and you take Brooke on that tour," Lucas suggested, placing a hand on the small of her back and began rubbing it. It was a subtle gesture, but he'd heard the nervousness in his wife's laughter and wanted to make sure she was okay, whether Brooke was standing there or not.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, gazing at her tenderly, hoping she was paying attention enough to read the I love you's in his eyes. "Yeah. You have your girl time," Lucas replied, smiling slightly, when Peyton gave him the look he knew was solely for him, letting him know she got his message.

Peyton turned to Brooke, who had been watching the silent communication with a deep frown. "What do you think?"

"It's up to you," Brooke shrugged. "I don't mind walking and eating. Besides it should save us some time. Isn't Karen coming by to pick the kids up soon, Luke?"

"Yeah, she's coming at three thirty," Lucas replied, looking at his watch. He looked up at Peyton. "And we still need to get dressed, baby."

"I'll make it really quick then," Peyton shrugged. "You feed the kids and then we can all go together. I'll drop you off at Haley and Nate's so you can change Brooke."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Well, walking and eating it is then," Peyton said, handing William to Lucas.

"But I wanna eat with mommy," Anna cried, looking sadly up at Peyton. Peyton looked at Anna and then Brooke.

"You know what, let's just sit down together and eat," Brooke said. "I can come by tomorrow or something."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Anna should get to eat with her mom," Brooke smiled.

"YAY! Thank you Brooke! Come on mommy!" Anna dragged Peyton back into her office and Lucas hung back, smiling at Brooke.

"That was really good of you," he said. Brooke blushed slightly and shrugged.

"I aim to please, Broody." Lucas chuckled and swung an arm around her neck.

"You're gonna be fine Brooke. How are you holdin up?"

"It's hard. Coming home has made me realize old dreams I thought I'd forgotten about. Do you remember when we were dating and we were describing our perfect houses?"

"Yea," Lucas replied, with a nod.

"I want that Luke. I want ou-my dream house and a family. Hell maybe even a dog." She looked up at him and tilted her head. "Do you think that could happen still?"

"Of course I do Brooke," Lucas chuckled. "You're still young and not to sound like a Hallmark card, but if I've learned one thing over the years is never let go you those dreams. If you want it badly enough it'll happen."

Brooke stared at him a moment before looking away. "I do want it."

Lucas patted her on the shoulder. "Then go for it," he said.

"Maybe I will," Brooke smiled up at him. He returned it and then walked into the office. Brooke followed him and leaned against the doorframe watching as Lucas plopped himself down on the carpet with his wife and children. He opened his mouth and let Peyton pop a piece of turkey into his mouth before leaning in to peck him on the lips.

Brooke smiled innocently when Peyton looked up at her, questioningly. "Maybe I will."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey again guys! So I'm starting the drama for the Scotts; Shaking up Mayberry, if you will. :-)**

**I hope you enjoyed your holidays and had a happy new year. Thanks so much for all the birthday well wishes and here's to a great year for us all. **

**Lexlady**

"Hurry up Peyt," Lucas called, as he rolled up his shirt sleeves. "We're gonna be la-Woah."

He couldn't finish his sentence as Peyton walked out of their closet wearing a little black dress and sling backs that got him hard the second he saw her. It was a halter top and the bottom was dangerously short and every inch of fabric clung to her luscious frame. Not something she would usually choose, but from the look on his face and the growing bulge in his pants it was worth it.

"Wh-When did you get that?"

Peyton smirked to herself at the huskiness of his voice and his stuttering. They had dropped Brooke off and made it home just as Karen pulled in. After many hugs and kisses, the kids were off to their grandmother's house, with bags that had been packed the day before. In all honesty, Peyton had asked Karen two days before to take the children for the night and with that in mind went out and bought the sexiest little number she could find.

"A few days ago," she replied. She held out a necklace to him and bit her lip. "Help me?"

Lucas nodded and walked up behind her, shakily taking the necklace from her. She held her hair up and couldn't help but moan lightly, because she knew he was inhaling her scent deeply and when he finished clasping her necklace she turned around and smiled.

"Do you like it?"

"I think it would look better off," he replied, rubbing his hands hungrily up and down her sides. Peyton smiled and threw her arms around his neck.

They had made love for the past two nights in a row and both nights had been amazing, but before then, it had been nearly a month since the last time they had sex. It wasn't unusual for two busy parents, both with careers to take care of, but they had no loss of sweet kisses, caresses, and handholding; never any lost affection. And what was better, these long hiatuses always made for intensely passionate lovemaking when they finally had the time and energy to do so.

Peyton's smile turned seductive and Lucas felt himself twitch. "Oh it'll come off."

She leaned up and pulled him down to nip his full lower lip, slowly and sensually, making him shiver and wrap his arms around her waist.

Peyton pulled away and looked up into his eyes that, at that moment, were as dark as sapphire "Later."

"You are a tease," Lucas groaned.

"We're gonna be late, babe," Peyton laughed as she moved away from him. Lucas caught her wrist and pulled her back up against him, pressing his hard body flush against hers.

He leaned down and touched his lips to the delicate shell of her ear, smiling when he felt her body quiver against his. "Lets be late then," he whispered. Peyton bit back a moan, feeling the vibration of his deep voice through her body and the hardness of his erection on her thigh, letting him capture her lips with his in a hot kiss.

"Luke," Peyton gasped, as his hands traveled up her thighs and to her bare bottom. He moaned into her mouth, as his hands kneaded the soft flesh. Peyton's arms moved around his neck, despite themselves, deepening the kiss with a groan. Amidst the passion of their making out, Peyton's back hit the bedroom wall.

"Mmm, Luke, no-" Peyton gasped as he began kissing her neck, his hands were everywhere at once. He took hold of her hips and lifted her up and she hooked her legs around his waist, pressing the heat of her core to his rock hard erection.

"God I want you," Lucas groaned, thrusting his hips forward into her heat, his fingers hooked underneath the thin straps of her lace thong.

"Lucas," Peyton panted. "We're going to be so late," she sighed with a giggle.

"Then you shouldn't have put that dress on," Lucas grinned, tossing her onto the bed and jumping on top of her giggling, squealing form. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rolled them over so she was on top, straddling his waist and began unbuckling his pants, while he pushed her dress up and over her head and tossed it to the side.

"God, you are so beautiful," he moaned, sitting up to wrap strong arms around her waist. He leaned in to take her mouth into his for a searing kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to caress her tongue with it and then pulled away. "So beautiful."

Peyton beamed at him and brought him in for several soft sweet kisses, beginning work on the buttons of his shirt, all the while rocking her hips back and forth in his lap. They barely heard the phone ringing over their own moaning.

Lucas pulled back a bit and glared at it so hard, Peyton was surprised the thing didn't combust. "Aw fuck!"

Peyton couldn't help but chuckle as she reached for the phone. "Hi Hales."

"Hey have you guys left yet?"

"No Haley we haven't," Peyton replied, swatting at Lucas as she tried to get up, and he tried to pull her back down.

"You haven't left yet?" Haley cried looking at Nathan as he drove. She paused, furrowed her brows, then asked, "Why are you panting?"

Nathan started to snicker and grinned over at Haley. "Two guesses babe."

"Oh seriously? Peyton you guys are going to be late!"

"Don't have coronary Haley. We're on our way now," Peyton said as she wiggled back into her dress and Lucas once again tried to get himself under control.

"No quickies," Haley hissed, glancing into the backseat at Brooke who was rolling her eyes.

"Ugh! Goodbye Haley," Peyton sighed, hanging up the phone. She looked back at Lucas who sat, fully dressed and pouting on their bed. "I know, I know."

"You realize I'm going to be pissed all evening, right?"

"Oh stop it," Peyton laughed, sitting on his knee. "Haley is right, we will be late. And you don't want to miss saying goodbye to Skillz and Bevin, do you?"

"But you smell good," Lucas mumbled into her neck.

"Lucas," Peyton giggled in reply.

"Why am I friends with them again?" Lucas asked in mock seriousness.

"Lucas!"

"Fine," he sighed, standing with her. "But you are all mine later. And you better save your energy because I am going to spend the entire night making you come over and over and over again."

Peyton moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll hold you to that and return the favor." They shared a sweet kiss and she added, "I can't wait for later."

"At least we have later," he smiled.

**

* * *

**

The party at Tric was starting up by the time Haley, Nathan, and Brooke got there. The layout hadn't changed much since high school and the gang actually found it funny to come here and listen to the Tree Hill high school drama of a new generation. This night thought was strictly for adults.

Haley, Nathan, and Brooke came to the table and greeted everyone. After awhile of drinking and socializing Skillz nudged Nathan and asked,

"Hey where the other Scotts at?"

"Yeah I thought they would have beaten us here," Jake commented.

"Um, Haley called them on the way here and I think they're a bit busy if you know what I mean," Nathan chuckled, before taking a swig of his beer.

"I'm sure with the dress Peyton picked out for tonight," Molly said with a smirk. "I think we'll be lucky if we even see them tonight at all."

"Dress?" Bevin chirped, thoroughly confused.

"It's a fuck me dress," Molly said in a manner that was a matter a fact, making Haley choke on her red wine. "It's true," she shrugged. "I've seen it."

"Oooh. I got plenty of those kinds of dresses, don't I baby," Bevin grinned.

"You sho do baby."

"I'm wearin one right now," she exclaimed getting up to twirl around. Skillz grinned at her and shrugged at the table as everyone laughed and shook their heads at the craziness that was Bevin.

"Does Peyton need a fuck me dress?" This question came from Brooke to which everyone paused, unsure of what to say or how to take it. Molly narrowed her eyes. She did not have that problem.

"Oh trust me, Peyton doesn't need the dress. Lucas is a dog in heat when it comes to her. She just wanted to pick out something extra special for him. But, you're in the fashion industry so you probably already know about stuff like that." She said it nicely and Nathan couldn't help but hide a smile. He had liked Molly from the get go and now he remembered why.

From the look Brooke was giving her, it was apparent they were sizing each other up. After a pause Brooke laughed and took a sip of her vodka on the rocks and said, "Of course I know that. Peyton doesn't need a fuck me dress, especially with those legs."

Molly smiled back at her, but as Jake looked between the two he sighed inwardly. Molly was a little spitfire and was known to do some meddling in her time. She was also very protective of Peyton.

"So Brooke have you thought about how much longer you plan on staying around?" Molly asked, pleasantly. "I know indefinitely, but you must have some idea at this point."

"Actually I was going to wait and talk to Nathan and Haley first, but….I'm maybe thinking about moving home. I've got dreams to chase."

"What kind of dreams?" Molly asked bluntly, before Jake elbowed her lightly.

"The kind I thought I'd let go of," Brooke replied with a smile before downing the rest of her drink. And at that moment a flushed Lucas and Peyton walked in, hand in hand. Peyton looked gorgeous and Lucas looked sexy as hell in a light blue button down and perfectly tailored charcoal slacks.

Brooke looked away in jealousy as Mouth took one look at them and muttered, "They were so making out in the parking lot."

"I'm getting another drink," Brooke announced, practically running to the bar. Watching them together was altogether too damn hard and the more she did the more bitter she became. She should be the one walking in here with him, making an entrance and looking stunning. Hell, she looked damn fine right now and she decided she was absolutely sure if she were alone with Lucas he would very much agree.

"Vodka on the rocks," she said, before digging threw her purse for her cell which had begun chirping.

"Um, where the hell are you?"

"Chill the fuck out, crazy. I'm on Main Street. What's the plan?"

"Come to Tric. Skillz and Bevin are leaving tomorrow morning so everyone is here."

"They're leaving?" Her question was dotted with real disappointment. And Brooke gave her a sympathetic, "Sorry."

"At least you have tonight right?"

"Yeah, better than nothing I guess. So how's tricks with the golden couple? You told them I'm staying with them right?"

"Um…" Brooke glanced back at the group. "Not really."

"What does not really mean?"

"It means they have plans for an all night sex party for two that you are going to ruin," Brooke said with a smirk.

"Brookie Monster. That's a page out of my sleeping with a married guy play book. What are you doing?"

Brooke shrugged, even though she knew Rachel couldn't see her and glanced down the bar at Lucas who was ordering some drinks with Skillz.

"Do you mind if I borrow it?"

* * *

"I'm worried Hales," Jake sighed. "I mean I seriously thought she was gonna hyperventilate when we went to see Peyton."

"Crap Jake. This sucks. I mean even Nathan is worried. You noticed last night how Brooke managed to not be in the same vicinity as Peyton when Lucas was around."

"Yeah, you noticed that too?"

"Do you think Luke knows?"

"I honestly believe he is blissfully unaware of Brooke's feelings. Peyton may suspect something."

"Of course she suspects something," Molly said, joining them. "It's woman's intuition."

"What do we do," Haley sighed.

"Do you think Brooke would actively try to take Lucas away from Peyton?" Molly asked, with eyebrows raised. Haley shook her head and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. The Brooke Davis I used to know always got what she wanted-"

"With the exception of Lucas in the end," Molly added.

"And what is the deal with her moving home and chasing dreams," Haley added, air quoting 'chasing dreams.'

"I was wondering what that was all about, myself," Jake murmured. "She is in complete denial right now," Jake said, looking at Brooke across the club. "She's fixating on Luke as the perfect father and husband and as the….well as the love of her life."

"I don't know why we're even talking about this," Molly said, taking a sip of her martini. "Brooke can try all she wants, there is no way she's getting him away from her."

Jake and Haley both nodded in agreement. "That's not what we're worried about," Haley said.

* * *

"Curly lookin damn good, Luke," Skillz commented, making Lucas shake his head and grin as he bumped fists with Mouth. "If I was you Luke, I woulda called my ass to say goodbye and kept her home all night. I thought I taught you better than that, dawg."

"Trust me, it wasn't from lack of trying," Lucas sighed, staring at his wife as she talked to Brooke. "Sometimes….sometimes I can't believe she's mine."

"Are you going to cry?" Lucas looked down at Bevin who was staring up at him innocently. Lucas chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm going to miss you Bev," Lucas sighed, throwing an arm over her shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss me too," Bevin replied, hugging him back briefly before bouncing off. They were all silent for awhile, unsure of what to say, and all wearing faces of utter confusion.

"Investment banker? Really?" Nathan said in all seriousness.

"Best in her firm," Skillz grinned.

"Um, wow. That's all I can come up with," Lucas chuckled.

"That's all anyone can come up with. It's Bevin," Skillz shrugged. "So you still honeymoonin dawg?"

"I'm as surprised as you are Skillz. I mean making love to her is still….It leaves me speechless, you know?"

"Making love? Luke, you really need to turn it off sometimes," Nathan sighed, jokingly. "You're making the rest of us look bad."

"Seriously, Nate," Lucas laughed, before sobering. "Peyton, my kids, the house, my job, hell you guys. I feel like I'm on top of the world and any second it's going to come tumbling down."

"Now there's the Lucas I know," Nathan joked. "Seriously man, our lives are awesome right now. You and Peyton made the decision to be happy in high school and so far you're doing a kick ass job. Don't rain on your own parade, man. That's lame."

"It's like I was telling Brooke yesterday," Mouth said. "The Scotts filled their quota for drama in high school and it all ended when Dan got put away."

At the mention of Dan Scott, both Scott brother's sobered. Neither of them had uttered his name in years, nor visited him. He had tried to contact Nathan six years back, but Nathan hadn't even looked at the letter, writing return to sender on the envelope and dropping it in the mailbox within an hour of receiving it.

"There's too much good in the present to dwell on the past," Lucas whispered, almost to himself. He looked up once again to Peyton. "Or a future that isn't written yet."

"I know one thing that's in Lucas Scott's future," Skillz grinned following his gaze.

"What's that Skillz," Lucas asked, his eyes still glued to the beauty of his wife.

"BOOTY!"

* * *

"Is this two or three," Peyton asked with a smirk as she sidled up beside Brooke.

"Three," Brooke replied, lifting her glass to clink it with Peyton's rum and coke. Maybe four."

"So I have to say, P Sawyer. I never pegged you to be the slutty dress type, but I've got to admit you're wearing the hell out of it."

"Um…..thank you?" Peyton laughed, mixing her drink.

"So what's the occasion?" Brooke asked, plucking the olive out of her drink.

"Oh," Peyton turned pink and looked away. "No reason. It's just Karen has the kids tonight and um-"

"It's for Luke?"

"Yeah," Peyton replied, shyly looking away.

"Hey, if it was me I'd be wearing the same thing. Of course if it were me, Lucas and I wouldn't leave the house," Brooke crowed. "But I guess I lost my shot right?"

It was a typical comment for Brooke Davis to make and Peyton tried not to let it bother her, but it did. She felt like she was in high school again and couldn't stand the niggling of guilt she felt, so she changed the subject.

"So Luke told me you came by the house this morning."

"Yeah, it's beautiful Peyton. I'm sure Lucas was excited to get it," Brooke smiled. Peyton returned it, happy that they were talking about Lucas now without any awkwardness and their conversation was limited to the present day.

"Yeah, he really was," Peyton grinned at the memory. She had found it while driving to her gallery from Nathan and Haley's house. As soon as she saw it, she knew that was the house she and Lucas would raise their family in. "You should have seen him. He was dragging me through every room of the house like a kid in a candy store."

"I remember when Luke and I were planning our future and he told me about his dream house. He wanted us to have four kids and a dog that we decided we'd name Rocket junior. Because he used to have a dog named Ro-"

"Rocket. I know," Peyton cut in, uncomfortably.

"Sorry, if it makes you uncomfortable," Brooke muttered.

"What are you doing?" Peyton asked quietly.

"It's just….Lucas and I have a past, Peyton. You know that."

"I know that Brooke, but….It's the past," Peyton sighed with a little irritation. "Just leave it there."

"You brought up the house," Brooke said, indignantly.

"And you were the one who brought up the plans you and Lucas were making together," Peyton shot back.

"So it's okay for you to talk about your past with Luke, but I can't?"

"Brooke," Peyton gasped. "I'm his wife."

Brooke shook her head, waving her hand as if to get rid of what Peyton had just said. Hearing her say the words just didn't sit well with her in her world of denial.

"Look P, I don't want to argue with you, okay. This night is about Bevin and Skillz. I thought we'd be able to talk about everything past, present, and future and be completely honest with each other. Lucas and I were in love and I'm sorry if you feel threatened by that, but-"

"Woah," Peyton exclaimed, holding up a finger. "Lets get one thing straight, Brooke. I am in no way, shape or form threatened by what you and Lucas _used_ to ha-You know what? Lets not do this. You're right. Tonight is about Skillz and Bevin."

Brooke raised her eyebrow at her and tilted her head. "I didn't mean to upset you, Peyton," she said quietly. Although part of her knew she really did. Thanks vodka.

"I'm not upset," Peyton sighed, unconvincingly. Brooke raised her other eyebrow and chuckled.

"You seem upset."

"I'm not," Peyton snapped. "Look it just seems like you-I don't know like you can't stand seeing Luke and me together. You seem so uncomfortable when you were having lunch with us today."

"What, so I'm the jealous one now because I have no one and you have this cookie cutter life with the guy I practically _gave_ you?"

"You did not just say that to me," Peyton whispered in shock after a long pause.

"Peyton, I'm sorry," Brooke sighed.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"I didn't mean to say that-I-"

"Yeah, I think you did. He's not a shoe Brooke. He is a man who can make choices and he made the choice to be with me."

"At the state championship after we won I was talking to him and I told him to go be with you."

Incredulous, Peyton cried, "What am I supposed to thank you?"

"Peyton, I'm not trying to fight with you or anything. I'm just…telling you how it was."

"Excuse me," Peyton mumbled, before stalking away. If she stayed there she would have laid Brooke out. She could not believe Brooke had the nerve to say that to her. And she couldn't believe the wave of guilt that came with hearing it.

You have no reason to feel guilty, Peyton, she told herself. Lucas had chosen her. Lucas loved her and she was sad that Brooke's life had not panned out exactly the way she had planned, but dammit she would not feel guilty about being happy.

As she walked, she felt a hand grab her arm and haul her in their direction. She knew the touch was too rough and clumsy to be Lucas. When she looked up, fire in her green eyes she saw it was some smarmy looking guy wearing too much cheap cologne and obviously too much booze in his system.

"Hey baby where you going in such a hurry."

"I am not your baby, jackass. Let me go." She gave her arm a tug, but he held her steady.

"Oh no. I saw you come in baby and you are lookin very sexy. That loser you come here with ditch you?"

"That loser-" Peyton snatched her arm away. "Is my husband. Get bent before I knee you in the balls."

Before she could walk away, the guy grabbed hold of her arm again and pulled her back towards her, making her spill half her drink. Her heart rate immediately shot up and she glanced around at the packed club wondering where the hell her husband was and why no one was saying anything. She hadn't been man handled this way since psycho Derek and the longer this progressed the more panicked she became.

"The name is Rod. And you sexy lady, are a tease. Lemme take you out back and show you what I can do. I promise it's the best you've ever had."

Mad as hell, completely grossed out, and beginning to feel caged Peyton tossed the rest of her drink in his face and hissed, "I highly doubt it."

"You bitch!" He cried, yanking on her arm painfully so she cried out. Rod's grasp on her was then suddenly loosened and he found himself being lifted by his collar and forcefully pushed up against the nearest wall by an absolutely livid Lucas Scott.

"What _fuck_ did you just call her?"

"She threw her drink in my face!"

'And you had your hands on her," he growled.

"Dude, I didn't know she was your girl," the guy stuttered. "I mean a girl comes into a club wearin a dress like that and-"

"WHAT!" Lucas slammed him up against the wall again. "They what!"

"I-I just thought-"

"That gives you the right to put your fucking hands on her?! Is that it?"

"Dude, she's practically begging for it."

"_Very_ wrong answer," Lucas hissed, before backhanding him and following it up with a punch in the face. He hauled him back up by his collar and got right up in his face.

"She's not just my girl, fuckwad. She's my wife and if you ever put your _fucking_ hands on her again I'll shove my fist so far into your face you'll be seeing out of the back of your fucking head. Do you understand me?"

The man nodded quickly, glancing over his shoulder at Nathan, Skillz, Mouth, and Jake who all looked like they would help the angry blonde in front of him make good on his promise.

Lucas loosened his grip on the guy's shirt and stuck a finger in his face. "And when a woman, _any _woman says fuck off, take a hint and walk the fuck away."

Lucas was not a violent man as a rule, but he was raised by a single mother and no one put their hands on a woman, especially Peyton, who he has always been protective of. If anyone so much as looked at her funny they would get a threatening look and the business end of his fist. He'd rather face some prison time and pay the dick's medical bills than have a Psycho Derek situation happen again. And now that he had a daughter, the idea of anyone speaking to her or hurting her in any way made him crazy with rage.

"Sorry, man," he muttered, righting his clothing. "Sorry."

Lucas let go of him with a final threatening shove and turned around to his wife, who was slightly shaken, visibly upset, and had a hand print on her upper arm that made him see red all over again. Before the guy could crawl away, Lucas stopped him.

"Apologize," he spat. The guy rolled his eyes and scoffed a little and that was all it took for Lucas to punch him in the stomach and clock the guy in the jaw again. He grabbed him by the back of his shirt and slam him back up against the wall.

"You put a bruise on my wife's arm. You're fucking lucky you're still standing. And if want to keep it that way, you will apologize to her," he gritted through clenched teeth.

"Yeah-yeah. Um, I'm sorry-I didn't know-I mean-for callin you that and grabbing you."

Peyton nodded slightly and Lucas turned back to the guy. "You should probably pay up and leave, sir."

"Hey, I apologized. You can't tell me when to leave."

"Oh I think I can," Lucas said in a dangerously low voice, turning his body fully towards him. "Because if you stay, your eyes will be on my wife and if they are I swear to God, I'm going to beat the fucking shit out of you and I don't think you want to spend the rest of your night in a hospital. If you ever put your hands an a woman like that again, you'd better hope I'm not around."

The guy, was completely creeped out by the deadly look in Lucas's eyes and slunk away without another word as the crowd that had gathered began to clap and cheer Lucas on. Lucas slowly uncurled his fists and turned, his eyes only for his wife. He held an arm out to her and she quickly ran into his embrace.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, wrapping strong arms around her shaking body. She nodded into his chest, continuing to hold onto him, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled.

"Hey" he said sternly, pulling back to stare into her face. "Don't you dare apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. That guy was a dick."

"I know-I know it just always seems to happen to me though. That guy who slipped me something at that party Brooke dragged me to, with psycho Derek…I-"

"Aw, Peyt. None of that was your fault, baby. There is no reason, _no_ reason for that guy to put his hands on you. I don't care if you were walking around her naked. No man has any right to do that. Okay?"

Peyton nodded and Lucas wiped away the tears from her face, kissing her cheeks.

"You're shaking," she whispered, rubbing the quivering muscles in his arms.

Lucas chuckled lightly, warmed that she was worried about him. "I'll be okay," he whispered back with a small smile.

"Hey man," Nathan said, walking up to them. "That idiot is gone. Skillz, Mouth, Jake, and I watched him go. The bartender was getting ready to kick his ass out anyway." "Good. Thanks man," Lucas replied, bumping fists with him. Nathan turned his attention to Peyton who still stood securely in the safety of Lucas's embrace.

"You okay, Scott?"

Peyton smiled up at Nathan and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks Nate."

"Anytime. Look the dressing rooms are free if you wanna calm down or whatever."

Peyton let go of Lucas and gave Nathan a hug. "You're a good big brother."

"So I've been told," Nathan chuckled. The two blondes walked off into the crowd, men patting Lucas on the back as they went.

Haley and Brooke walked over to Nathan watching Lucas and Peyton go. "Nathan what was all that about," Haley asked. "Was Lucas fighting?"

"Some guy was being a jackass to Peyton. Grabbed her."

"Oh my God," Haley gasped as she exchanged wide-eyed glances with Brooke who asked,

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. The guy grabbed her pretty hard and there's a hand print and-well, Lucas went ape-shit. Hell, I almost went ape-shit."

"We should go see if she's okay-" Brooke cried.

"She's gonna be fine. Lucas is with her."

"Fuck that, Nathan. Peyton's my friend," Brooke exclaimed. She really did feel guilty for what she'd let slip in front of Peyton. The alcohol had gotten the better of her.

"Brooke, she has her husband with her," Nathan said, stressing the word husband. Haley squeezed his hand in warning and Nathan sighed. "Just…leave them alone for a bit. She'll be alright, Davis."

Brooke sighed and was about to mutter fine when she heard a commotion.

"Holy shit! Look what the cat dragged in!"

"Rachel!"

Haley gapped at the entrance where Rachel making hers. "Great," she muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile Lucas sat on the couch in the dressing room with Peyton in his lap, stroking her back soothingly, trying to calm both her and himself down. When he made his way through the crowd and caught sight of that asshole, grabbing her, hurting her, calling her names he felt himself get crazy with anger. It was why he completely understood Nathan's reaction to Dante hitting Haley with his car senior year of high school. It was why after Psycho Derek, he was over protective of her to the extreme and why he still blamed himself for the second attack on prom night. He would not, he could not stand by and watch while the world hurt her in any way. That included drunken assholes who couldn't take no for an answer and ex-best friends.

"That's not all that's bothering you is it," he said, looking into her face. She opened her eyes and sighed. He knew her too well.

"I saw you talking to Brooke and I saw that it got a bit tense."

Peyton nodded, still unsure of what to make of it all herself. Brooke was drunk and that was a fact and as her best friend she knew Brooke didn't hold back when she was drunk. She would play mean games for her own amusement, sleep with her best friend's ex boyfriend of all of five minutes, flirt with just about anybody, and say things that she would regret later. But this was her husband and Peyton didn't want to keep things from him.

"She said….she said that she gave you to me, during the state championship. And she was saying all this stuff about the plans you two had made together, the dream house and the four kids and Rocket junior and-I don't feel threatened by her, Luke I don't. It's just hearing her say she gave you to me-like she can take you away from me whenever she wants, like we shouldn't be together in the first place or something…it just…It bugged me."

Lucas clenched his jaw and nodded curtly. "What else?"

"Do you remember the first night we made love?"

His face melted into a smile and he kissed her cheek softly. "How could I forget," he replied.

"And when Skillz, Mouth, and Brooke walked in on us?" Lucas winced and then sighed.

"How could I forget."

"Do you remember what I said Luke?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, furrowing his brows. "You apologized. You said I'm sorry. You felt guilty?"

Peyton nodded her head and looked at him. "Stupid huh? I mean here I am making love to my boyfriend and I feel the need to apologize. I felt-I felt like you weren't really mine. And maybe-maybe with Brooke here and what she said to me made me-I felt guilty Luke. I felt guilty, like I stole her life or something."

Lucas exhaled deeply through his nostrils, irritated beyond belief with Brooke. What the hell kind of mind games was she trying to play?

"Peyton, the night of the state championship, Brooke asked me who I wanted next to me when my dreams came true and I remembered once upon a time you asked me the same question and I knew it wasn't just a coincidence her asking me that. You were and still are the most selfless person I know. And in that moment I saw things more clear than I had in a long time. She gave me that last push and I thank her for that. My decision wasn't made out of any sort of confusion, baby. It's the least confused I'd ever been about my feelings up until that point. As far as I was concerned, Brooke and I were dead and buried, but when she asked me that question, the same one you had asked me, I realized you were willing to give up your happiness for mine. You have no idea how that made me feel."

Lucas sighed and leaned up to kiss her cheek, needing his lips on the velvet of her skin. Pressing a finger to her cheek, he made her look at him dead in the eye and said, "She didn't give me to you. I gave myself to you. I loved you then, Peyton and I lo-"

Peyton pressed two fingers to his lips and nodded. "I know," she whispered, with a smile. "I know, Luke."

"There's too much good in the present to dwell in the past, Peyt," he whispered. Hearing her own words come back to her out of the mouth of the man she loved more than her life made Peyton happier beyond belief. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his nose.

"I love you, Luke."

"I know, baby," he whispered back, gazing into her emerald green eyes. He leaned in and nuzzled her nose with his own.

"Do I look slutty?" She asked so suddenly, his eyes snapped at her and she felt him go rigid.

Lucas curled his fists, feeling his blood pressure rise. Dammit, he should have kicked that guys ass! "Did that fucking sonofabitch say you-"

"No-no-no," Peyton said quickly, rubbing his chest to calm him down, although she had to admit, she found it a total turn on, watching her husband get angry and protective on her behalf.

"I was just wondering. I wore it for you and now I'm wondering if I should have just…not."

"Peyton," Lucas said gently, taking her hands. As he stared at her, he felt his already half way there cock beginning to harden further. The effect this woman had on him was nothing short of amazing. "You look…absolutely stunning. This dress would have looked slutty on some other woman, but….on you, anything on you is amazingly-You're beautiful, baby."

Peyton blushed and Lucas chuckled through his nose at her cuteness. She was stunning and beautiful and adorable and all his. Peyton shifted in his lap, and from the twinkle in her eye, he was pretty sure she did it on purpose.

"You're mine," he whispered. "Always." Peyton smiled and leaned down to slowly interlock her lips with his, teasing his lips with the tip of her tongue.

"And you are mine. Always. Forever."

They stared at one another, both of them thinking the same thing, both reading the same desire in the other's eyes. They move at the same time, Lucas shifting to allow Peyton to straddle his lap and then their lips crashed together, passionately. Peyton snaked her tongue into the warmth of his mouth and with a moan, Lucas tangled his tongue sensually with hers. He grasped her hip to pull her closer with one hand and the other dove into her curls, deepening their kiss.

She felt him between her legs, rock hard and pressing against her heat. Groaning into his mouth she rocked and rolled her hips against his. Lucas pulled away from the kiss and threw his head back, moaning, loudly.

"What happened to later," Lucas panted with a grin. Peyton grinned back and reached for the zipper on his pants.

"Fuck later."

**Hey you guys didn't get me a birthday present! I will accept reviews as a belated birthday gift. :-p**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks SO much for the reviews guys. I had a lot of fun writing that chapter. This next one is bit short, but I thought it worked well on it's own and I have been working to get another chapter of Journey out soon for those who have been waiting ever so patiently for it. As I started that one up again I really got the urge to full steam ahead so I can finish it. **

**Here's the next chapter and you have all day to read it so it won't overlap with the season premiere of OTH! I know, I know. You're welcome. :p**

"So Crazy-"

"I take it this new nickname is going to stick," Brooke sighed, sipping on her drink.

"Hey it's all in love. Think of it as a pet name. Besides, I'm not the one living in a time capsule and trying to destroy my best friend's five year marriage," Rachel replied, downing the rest of her French martini.

"This coming from the dirty mistress," Brooke bit back as Rachel ordered another drink.

"Hey, Rob doesn't love his wife. I can't say the same thing for Lucas. So where is the man of the hour?"

"He's off somewhere with Peyton," Brooke sighed, glancing around the club. There had been no sign of the two blondes in about a half an hour.

"Fucking?"

Brooke gave Rachel a scathing look and rolled her eyes. "Some asshole felt her up and Lucas kicked his ass."

"Hot," Rachel cooed. "Not the feeling up part. That's not cool. The ass kicking part." Brooke rolled her eyes, and looked around the club again, catching sight of a creepy looking bearded guy sitting in the corner wearing shades and a hat. She shivered, wondering when it had become okay to let creeps, assholes, and potential serial killers into hot nightclubs.

"Will you focus for like two seconds please," Brooke hissed, tearing her eyes quickly away from the Manson wannabe.

"I have been driving for the past eight hours, Brooke. Can I please enjoy my martini without you being crazy in my ear? Have you told Lucas and Peyton I'm staying with them?"

At Brooke's bashful shrug, Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sorry, okay, but with what I let slip to Peyton tonight I'm also going to need you to not mention it was my idea for you to come down here. You surprised us all, including me."

"What exactly did you say to her?"

"Just the truth."

"The truth in your world is usually a tad bit skewed Brooke…and wrong."

Brooke's jaw dropped in indignation. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You know what never mind. I don't want to know what you think."

"I'm sure you don't," Rachel chuckled. "But I'm going to tell you anyway because you need to hear it. Senior year, you treated Peyton like so much shit, because she did what she thought was right and told you she still had feelings for Lucas. Was it the right decision to make? Who knows, but what I do know is whether Peyton opened her mouth or not, you and Lucas would not have made it. You know it, Brooke."

"Maybe we would have stood a chance if Peyton stopped trying to make out with him," Brooke hissed, miffed that Rachel was taking Peyton's side.

"Brooke, listen to yourself. You sound like petty, selfish, 18 year old Brooke, not successful, petty, selfish 26 year old Brooke. Didn't you kiss Pete from Fall Out Boy when Peyton was dating him and you were with Lucas?"

"That is SO different," Brooke cried. "I thought I was dreaming."

"Bullshit Brooke. That is such a load of bullshit and you know it. You saw a hot famous rocker and decided to plant one on him, because it would most likely be your only and last chance. Peyton was loosing blood and she thought she was going to die in that library and she kissed Lucas for the exact same reason you kissed Pete. It wasn't them cheating on you. Had she died, that kiss wouldn't have mattered to you, because your competition would have been gone-"

"That is not fair-" Brooke cried, getting choked up, momentarily.

"But because she lived and she eventually got together with Lucas you and everyone else seems to think it was some ultimate betrayal. What isn't fair is how you treated her after the truth came out, making jokes about her dead mothers, making her feel like a tramp. You had a right to be mad for Lucas keeping the kiss from you, but not that mad for that long and anyone who thinks that kiss in the library was a betrayal; that they should have thought of you and not done it-is a fucking ignorant idiot who has no heart. That's like asking a kid who is dying of cancer to not ask for that one last special wish before they go. I mean who the fuck does that?"

"Oh fuck you Rachel. Where the hell is this coming from? And who is everyone?"

"I'm just callin'em like I see them. And I'm talking about your friends back in the city people who are on team Brooke who seem to think Peyton Sawyer is a selfish, back stabbing, horrible friend, when in truth my crazy little friend, you shouldn't be first in line for any awards either. You are always the victim Brooke. You are always the one who is wronged and everyone else is just plain wrong. So pardon me if I laugh when you say you told Peyton the truth," Rachel finished by air quoting truth.

"I'm really glad I called you Rachel," Brooke said, snidely.

"Anytime," Rachel grinned. She glanced at Brooke who was huffing and angrily sipping her drink, with a raised eyebrow and sighed. "Fine, I'll bite. What truths did you enlighten the Stepford wife with."

"Lucas and I were in love, Rachel. He made me promises. I was just telling her about the plans Luke and I had made, I mean isn't that what you do with friends? Talk about your old plans and dreams?"

"Um, not unless that dream includes said friend's current husband. That's like me calling up Rob's wife and chatting with her about the sex I have with her husband."

"Did I mention you're a slut?"

"Says the woman who wants to steal a man away from his family," Rachel muttered.

"I don't want to steal him away from his family. I don't," she cried at the raised eyebrow Rachel sent her way. "I'm not Peyton," she added petulantly. "Anyway, I also told her that at the championship game, I told Lucas to be with Peyton. It was my idea."

"See?! You see that? You just made yourself the victim once again. That was high school, man. Let that shit go."

"Didn't you hear me? I pushed Lucas into Peyton's arms. If it weren't for me-What?"

Rachel stared at Brooke for a moment before scoffing and getting up. Brooke walked behind her and finally snagged her arm with impatience,

"Don't make me power walk. These are Manolos. What is it?"

"Do you even hear yourself right now? Brooke, I came down here to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Maybe even talk you into coming home with me. You just broke up with Chase, Brooke. You're rebounding and that's completely fine, but if you're gonna rebound, at least do it with someone you can have."

"You think I can't have Lucas," Brooke scoffed as they walked through the club. "He may be all into Peyton because they're been together for like ever, but I can assure you, if I decided I really wanted to, I could have him and I wouldn't have to raise a finger or form a single scheme."

"Oh, so he would just come to you like some mindless drone. He'll feel so guilty that your life didn't turn out the way you wanted it, that it is his and Peyton's fault your life went to shit and he'll look at you and he won't be able to stop thinking about you, and he'll feel so guilty because he's married to Peyton who he thinks is great, but she suddenly turns into the weak, selfish, needy, bitch that she isn't, so that it becomes okay for him to start an affair with his pretty girl. But you both feel so bad and you both get together and let Peyton know that he was only confused when he got together with her and she was familiar and he settled or whatever and you say Oh P. Sawyer I didn't mean for this to happen lets try to still be friends even though I essentially did to you what you did to me eight years ago, but trust me this isn't any sort of payback, and you'll cry or do whatever it is you do to get away with all the stuff you get away with. And then Peyton gets together with Chris Keller or Pete from Fallout Boy or Jake after he divorces that redhead, because it doesn't really matter who she gets stuck with so long as the epic romance that is brucas comes to fruition. Blah, blah, blah."

"Brucas, huh? That's how I'd write it," Brooke shrugged. "Although I'd have Peyton end up with Jake. I don't like that Molly girl and Pete wears too much makeup for her to take him seriously. Love always finds a way. People who are mean to be together always find each other in the end."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Brooke, they are the end. Geez, if this was high school I would have turned this into a dare, but just so you know, because it seems like you have forgotten this fact-high school is over."

"I'm moving back home," Brooke said after a moment. Rachel stopped in her tracks and spun around, nearly spilling her drink.

"You what?!"

"I'm moving back home. I'm going to start looking for places tomorrow."

"You know I think your new pet name fits."

"What? I grew up here. There is nothing wrong with my moving back home."

"No, there is _everything_ wrong with you moving back here. Especially if it has to do with being close to the guy you're in love with. Besides your life is in New York."

"I can run Hoes over Broes from Tree Hill. It's not like I don't have jets. And my life in New York is empty. Everything I have there is nothing if there's no one to share it with."

"Bringing us back to the million dollar question. Are you moving back here to make Lucas that person you…share things with?"

Brooke shrugged. She didn't want to be this person who plotted and schemed. Home wrecker was a title that would never sit well with her.

"You either want him or you don't Brooke and either way, moving closer to him will not help you get over him. It will just make things worse for you…and Peyton. I thought you wanted to fix your relationship with her."

"How will my moving home make my friendship with Peyton worse?"

"Well the last time I checked, lusting after a friend's hubby doesn't usually help cement a relationship. Do you even want to be friends with her again? What ever happen to Hoes over Bros? You guys were so close after the psycho Derek attack. And now you want to fight with her again over Lucas? Why are you doing this to her? To yourself?"

"You should take your own advice," Brooke pouted.

"Look, Brooke, I know it hurt you a lot when Chase left-"  
"I don't want to talk about it," Brooke exploded, shaking her head. "I hate being alone Rachel and everywhere I go, I seem to find myself alone. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They weren't supposed to fall in love again. He wasn't supposed to stay with her. Do you know what he said to her once? He said _I_ was the one he wanted next to him when all his dreams came true. He said he loved me. He made me promises. I was his first! I'm his pretty girl-I-"

Brooke shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, suddenly realizing she was crying. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"He isn't yours any more sweetie," Rachel sighed, rubbing her friend's back comfortingly. "Dreams change."

In her mind Rachel thought Lucas's dreams hadn't really changed because his dreams had always to some extent included a curly haired blonde. That was why, short of turning the Brooke, Peyton, and Lucas into completely different characters, the brucas love story wouldn't work, no matter how anyone spun it. Lucas always came back to Peyton, whether it was friendship or not he would never not be there for her. He would never cut her out of his life and Brooke would never be able to live in the shadow of Peyton Sawyer.

"Come back to New York with me."

But Brooke shook her head. "I have dreams to chase, Rachel. Dreams do change and I'm tired of the city. It's time for me to come home….Whether Luke is here or not."

"Really? What about-"

"I won't chase him. I won't try to steal him," Brooke assured. Most guys come to me anyway, she thought.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. I suck and I really can't bring myself to post short updates. If I give you something, I want it to be substantial and enough to make up for the lackluster season 5. I am unimpressed with the new season so far. I also feel like Mark and the writers are taking jabs at Peyton's character. I sorta feel like they hate her a bit this season. I mean they did make her work with Kevin Federline, after all. Lindsey annoys the everliving crap outta me and I might give her a bit of a role in this story also.**

**Also I should probably mention school begins again for me next week, so you're gonna have to be extra patient with me. Thanks for still reading and for all the helpful awesome reviews.**

Making love to his wife in a public place wasn't Lucas's ideal situation. He was a romantic through and through. He was more of a long seduction man. Candles, a rose scented bath, sweet I love yous, a huge bed with mosquito netting and soft white sheets was his ideal situation. He liked to take his time pleasuring his wife's body, worshipping it, playing it like an instrument, making it sing. He loved taking her clitoris into his mouth and moving his tongue between her folds, plunging his tongue inside of her, tasting how sweet she was and becoming intimate with that part of her body. He loved every sound she made, every gasp, every mewl, every groan, and scream and he loved watching her come and didn't mind working at it or waiting for his own sweet release, because he knew when it came his turn she would return the favor tenfold. Their honeymoon had been that way and they barely saw any of the beautiful island they were staying on the entire week and a half.

They didn't have that luxury for seduction and romance at this particular moment, but Lucas had the most important part of his perfect lovemaking scenario riding him hard, milking the life out of his cock and he was enjoying every amazing second of it. But like Peyton had said, Fuck later….and fuck romance and seduction for now. This was just the pre-game show.

They were both still fully clothed, but Lucas's shirt was unbuttoned, pants and boxers halfway down his legs and Peyton's dress was hiked up around her waist. Her thong had been tossed behind her carelessly.

Lucas was never one to just lay there when Peyton was on top either. As Peyton rolled and ground her hips into his, Lucas thrust upwards pulling her hips into his so that every time he slammed into her, her clitoris rubbed deliciously against his skin.

"Mmmmmmm, GOD Luke keep doing that. Oh god, Luke," Peyton cried throwing her head back and leaning back to rest her hands on Lucas's knees for leverage.

Lucas wondered fleetingly if he locked that door or not, but he also didn't fucking care as he buried his cock deep inside his wife again, watching her grinding in his lap, head thrown back, a fine sheen of sweat coating her chest and cleavage, hair a wild curly sexy mess. The sight of her alone made him want to come.

"Oh god, Peyt," he gasped, sitting up a bit to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. "God you feel amazing," he rasped.

"_You_ feel amazing," Peyton moaned back, leaning down to kiss him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, stilling the thrusting of their lower bodies momentarily. He groaned in response, his own tongue welcoming hers into his mouth by gently massaging it. She smiled into the kiss, thinking only they would interrupt their own lovemaking, to make out.

He was buried deep inside her from this angle and she felt him thick, hard, and pulsing against her throbbing walls. She began grinding her hips into his once more, moving up and down on his cock, eliciting another deep moan from him and the kiss grew hungrier and more urgent. Her fingers buried themselves into his short dark blonde locks and he wrestled his tongue into her mouth. It was her turn to moan.

"Mmmmm, GOD!" Lucas, with a strength and agility that even surprised him considering his pants were around his knees, managed to swing them around and got his knees on the couch so he was essentially kneeling with Peyton still straddling him, but now her back was pressed against the back of the couch which he pressed her into before slamming into her.

At that moment he was glad for the noise from the club. He hit her g-spot and she threw her head back and screamed his name in sheer ecstasy as she came hard and fast.

He continued to thrust into her, feeling his own orgasm rip through his entire body.

Afterwards both panting and still shaking from the power of their orgasms they took a moment before disengaging to reacquaint themselves with each other's lips. Dropping short soft sweet kisses over each other's faces they finally pulled away from each other, smiling.

"I love you Peyton Elizabeth Scott," he whispered, making her blush. He loved that he could still make her blush.

"I love you too Lucas Eugene Scott," she replied, leaning in to kiss him once more, before they cleaned themselves up and made themselves presentable.

"You ready to go, babe?" Lucas asked, as he buttoned the last of the buttons on his shirt. Peyton nodded and took hold of the hand he offered her. He put his hand on the doorknob and Peyton stopped him before he opened it.

"Hey Luke."

"Yeah babe?"

"Thank you," she whispered. "For choosing me to live your dreams with."

Lucas let go of the door handle letting the door slide shut and stared at her tenderly for a long moment. He cupped her cheeks and joined their lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. He pulled back to look at her once again and raised one side of his mouth, giving her that famed Scott smirk.

"Peyton…You _are_ my dream. Everything else is just icing on the cake, my love."

Haley made her way across the bar in the direction of her husband, fighting the yawn that was threatening to spill out of her. It had been a long weekend and just as long of a day and she would be happy when she finally got to put head to pillow. She excused herself when she bumped into someone, pausing when the Charles Manson wannabe kept moving without a word.

Haley continued her walk, feeling slightly creeped out. "Hey you," Haley greeted walking into Nathan's arms. She tilted her head back and allowed him to kiss her, humming happily when he deepened it for a moment. He pulled back and smiled down at his diminutive wife.

"Hey baby. So tonight has been pretty great, huh?"

"Oh yeah, minus that whole Peyton getting felt up and Lucas kicking that guy's ass thing," Haley laughed. "Oh yeah and Brooke is still in love or in whatever with Lucas. How are Lucas and Peyton by the way, I haven't seen them in a awhile. Where are they? Did they leave without saying goodb-"

"Woah baby. Calm down," Nathan said, rubbing her arms to keep her still. "They're still here. They're in the dressing room. They went there to calm down."

"But Nathan that was like forty five minutes ago."

"Yeah, I know," Nathan said with a smirk. "By the way, I think Peyton is feeling much much better."

After a moment Haley realized what he was implying and shook her head. "Ew! Do you know how many people must have had sex on that couch? Gross!"

"Who says they're doing it on the couch," Nathan replied, laughing at the face his wife gave him. "Hey I have no idea. All I know is I went to bring Peyton some water and I heard them before I saw them, thank God. And I am so not trying to see my brother's ass."

"Yeah well, I've seen enough of both of them thanks," Haley chuckled in reply, thinking back to the day she wished she had knocked.

"So, Luke was saying tonight, that he feels like something bad is going to happen," Nathan said. "Like with all the good he's had in his life after high school, he feels like it's just a matter of time before it all comes crumbling down."

"Oh Geez. That is so a Lucas Scott thing to do."

"Well, to be honest…I have the same thoughts sometimes Hales. I mean we went through a lot more drama than other normal teenagers did. To go from Dan and Dante and the basketball, my mom and uncle Keith to a completely drama free existence is…..weird. And a bit unnerving sometimes."

"Honey, it's natural for your mind to go there after what you and Luke went through in high school with Dan." She smiled and touched Nathan's cheek. "You know what Peyton told me once. She said that she and Lucas called themselves chaos junkies. With everything that has happened they were just waiting for another disaster. Happiness is a decision you make baby. If you ask me, I'd say we've all been living the dream these past few years."

Nathan smiled back at her and nodded. "How'd you get so smart, baby?"

"Oh sweetie they pay me to be this smart," Haley responded, cheekily.

"Oh yeah?" Nathan leaned down and his breath tickled her ear. "And how'd you get to be so damn sexy."

"Well my mom and dad……Yeah, I have no idea how I got this sexy," Haley laughed.

"I love you Haley James Scott."

"And I love you, Nathan Scott."

Nathan leaned down to kiss her once again and straightened up looking contemplative.

"It's just weird you know? That it just seemed to hit him all at once. I mean I think over the past couple of years Luke has done a pretty good job of not pooping all over the birthday cake, so to speak, but why know?"

"You are so eloquent," Haley cut in with a smile.

"Hey I'm not a writer, babe. You got the wrong brother. But-" He sat down and pulled a laughing Haley into his lap, cradling her head and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Luke isn't the only brother who can be a romantic."

"I know you can be romantic baby," Haley whispered. "You don't have to give me any pretty words or grand gestures. You tell me you love me every time you look at me. You gave me my children. Who needs romance when they have true love?"

"I couldn't agree more."

Nathan and Haley looked up at the voice that just spoke and smirked first at each other and then the owner of the voice. "Finally came up for air, huh," Nathan grinned at his brother.

"Very funny," Lucas smirked, sitting down across from his brother and sister in law, draping an arm around Peyton's shoulder after she sat down beside him.

"You doing better Peyt," Haley asked, smiling at her friend. Peyton smiled over at Lucas and then replied,

"I'm feeling much better, Hales."

"Good. I can't believe some guy practically tried to molest you in your own damn club," Haley exclaimed huffily.

"Let's not relive it Hales," Peyton said, squeezing Lucas's hand comfortingly. She felt him tense up at the mention of the asshole and didn't want his night ruined any more than it had been because some loser got too touchy with her.

"Good idea," Nathan sighed. "So, I assume you guys haven't caught wind of the other set of excitement that flew in here."

"What excitement?" Lucas asked.

"The other prodigal cheerleader came home," Haley explained at the questioning looks Lucas and Peyton gave her. Peyton and Lucas exchanged a look and Peyton spoke up.

"Prodigal cheerleader? Hales, what are you talking about?"

"Well if it isn't blonde and blonder," came a familiar voice from behind them.

Lucas and Peyton turned around and stared at Rachel in shock before standing to greet her.

"Hey," Peyton laughed. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't let little New York here wreck havoc on this small town," Rachel replied winking down at Brooke who plastered a fake smile on her face and kicked Rachel in the ankle. "Alone. Wreck havoc alone."

Peyton glanced at Brooke and then away. She was still pissed at her for what she'd said earlier and truth be told Brooke was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Part of her was surprised she was even still standing there as Lucas wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side.

"Anyway, I hear congratulations are in order," Rachel said sitting down among the couples, forcing Brooke to do the same and she glared at Rachel who, wearing a self satisfied smirk, chose to ignore her

"How many kids? Two?"

"Yeah," Lucas replied, smiling proudly down at Peyton, who was snuggled into his side. "Anna is four and William is fourteen months. They're really amazing."

"They are pretty cool, aren't they," Peyton joked, smiling up at Lucas.

"Yeah, we did okay," Lucas answered.

"I always knew you guys would make cool parents," Rachel said with a small smile.

"Thanks, Rachel," Peyton responded, touched. They chatted a bit about Rachel's work in her ad agency for awhile, making room for Bevin and Skillz when they joined them.

"So tell me all about the wedding, you two," Rachel said, turning to Lucas and Peyton. Brooke glared at her while Nathan and Haley exchanged baffled looks. Firstly, they were surprised she even cared to hear the story, but they had both wondered if the redhead was here to cause problems on behalf of Brooke. They had figured, Rachel would have known or had some sort of idea about Brooke's feelings, so this line of questioning was strange.

"Um…" Lucas looked at an equally confused Peyton, obviously wondering why Rachel cared to know the details of their wedding too.

"Oh come on guys. I thought couples love yakking about this stuff. Have you heard the story Brooke?"

"I got the Cliff's notes, Rach," Brooke rasped, in reply. She kept her tone light but her eyes were throwing daggers at the red-head. "I'm going to go get a another drink though, so-"

"Oh stay and hear the story Brooke. I'm sure you were bummed that you weren't able to be there. Right?"

"Oh sure," Brooke replied, with a smile. Mentally, she was thinking of ways to kill Rachel in the most painful way possible.

"What the hell is going on," Nathan hissed to Haley, who shrugged her shoulders.

Lucas looked at Brooke his brows furrowing in doubt as he remembered the things she had said to Peyton earlier. Things that still bothered him so he declined to return the small smile she sent his way. Turning back to Rachel he began.

"Um, well the wedding itself happened at city hall-"

"Wait," Rachel interrupted Lucas, waving her hands. "City Hall? Seriously? What did you knock her up or something?"

"No," Lucas replied, bluntly. "I just-sorry guys."

"Oh whatever I love this story," Haley gushed, leaning against Nathan.

"Okay…I had the ring and I had been thinking of the perfect way to propose to her. And I woke up one morning and I looked over at her." Lucas turned to look down at his wife, who was smiling up at him with big green eyes.

"She was snoring and her hair was all over the place and all I could think was how beautiful she looked to me at that moment, how she looked and….felt like home. Then she woke up and I just thought, right now. I want her to be mine forever. So, I blurted marry me and she immediately said-"

"Hell yes," Peyton finished, still beaming up at Lucas. Rachel lifted a corner of her mouth and glanced at Brooke who was eying Lucas's hand that was caressing Peyton's thigh. Maybe it was cruel, but Brooke needed the equivalent of a slap in the face.

"So why City Hall?"

"Because we had waited long enough," Peyton replied tangling her fingers together with Lucas's. He leaned down to plant a series of short sweet kisses onto Peyton's lips and Brooke looked about ready to throw up.

"We just wanted to be together. Most everyone we loved was there and I don't think we'd have done it any differently. It doesn't mean I don't want to give her that big elaborate wedding with a flower girl and the big white dress and seeing her coming down the aisle to meet me looking so beautiful."

"I'm sure you guys will get to do that eventually," Haley said. "Like Nathan and I. Vow renewals are just as good if not better than the actual wedding….well minus the car accidents."

At the look Haley threw Rachel the redhead raised an eyebrow and commented. "The girl doesn't forget. I'll give her that."

"So where are you staying Rachel?" Haley asked, glancing at Brooke. She'd be damned if Rachel ended up sleeping on her couch.

"Oh-Well I don't really know. This was sort of a last minute thing and I didn't really think this all the way through. I'm sure I can find a place."

"Oh you know what? I don't think there are any hotels checking in right now," Brooke broke in, looking quickly at her watch. "Check-in is closed for pretty much all the hotels and motels by now. I'm sure Haley would offer her guest room, but I'm staying there right now- "

"-I'm sure I can find some place that's still taking-"

"Don't you have a guest room Peyt?" Brooke smiled innocently at Peyton, who had been praying someone would think of something brilliant that wouldn't ruin her and Lucas's night of uncensored sex. From the look on Lucas's face, he had been hoping the same thing.

"Yeah," Peyton spoke up faking a bright smile. "Yeah, come stay with us tonight. We'd love to have you."

"-ow-Yeah…" Lucas chimed in, after Peyton elbowed him discreetly.

"That's really awesome of you guys," Rachel said sincerely as Nathan snickered at the frown Lucas was trying to keep of is face. He really felt sorry for him though. He knew how hard it was to get a night off from the kids.

"I'll be outta your hair tomorrow to find a hotel."

"Oh shut up, Rach. What's a guest bedroom for if you don't have any guests. Stay for your trip here," Peyton said, waving her hand.

After another elbow in the ribs, Lucas chimed in another "Yeah" complete with a half hearted smile as Mouth joined the group with Jake and Molly.

"You should take them up on their offer Rach," Brooke said sitting back, feeling a bit more satisfied. "I got a peek of the guest room today when I was helping Anna get dressed and it looks pretty awesome."

"Wait you don't have any place to stay?" Molly asked.

"She's staying with us tonight," Peyton answered. Jake and Nathan couldn't help but smirk when they heard Lucas sigh. They knew Lucas had plans tonight with Peyton with the kids out of the house and chances like this were few and far between.

"Well, Rachel why don't you just stay with me, tonight," Mouth spoke up. Rachel glanced at Brooke who was clenching her jaw and trying not to look annoyed.

"Yeah!" Lucas's exclamation was a lot more enthusiastic this time around and Rachel couldn't help but laugh. The guy who apparently got so much ass from Peyton and who had obviously just gotten some a little while ago, still couldn't get enough of her. Brooke didn't stand a chance and the sooner she saw that the better it would be for all of them.

"Mouth, that would be great," she replied. "Just promise to try and not be a gentleman when we go to bed tonight," she smirked.

"My man," Skillz crooned, bumping fists with a grinning Mouth.

"Oh I love this song," Bevin squealed getting up and dragging Jake with her.

"She knows she has the wrong guy right?" Molly laughed, looking on in amusement as Bevin danced around a wide eyed Jake.

"It's Bevin," Skillz replied, standing up and taking Molly and Peyton's hands. "Red, Curly, Big Daddy Skillz gonna show'em how it's done."

Laughing, Molly and Peyton allowed themselves to be dragged out onto the dance floor, joined by Nathan and Haley. And soon enough Rachel had dragged Mouth onto the dance floor, leaving Brooke alone with Lucas, but not before whispering "don't say I never did anything for you," to her.

Brooke smiled. Maybe she did owe Rachel one, she thought, moving closer to him, crossing her shapely legs in his direction. She was about to open her mouth when Lucas burst out laughing and she followed his gaze to the dance floor where Peyton was doing her two moves. The robot, complete with the swinging arm…..and then the running man. Brooke couldn't help but join in Lucas's mirth.

Skillz had said it best at a party back in high school-Peyton Sawyer danced like a white girl. Her moves were cheesy and bouncy and screamed I was a high school cheerleader, but she owned the hell out of her white girl moves and it cracked everyone up, especially Lucas.

He dragged his eyes away from the hilarity on the dance floor to the brunette who was suddenly sitting very close to him.

She was beautiful and she looked amazing tonight, wearing a red tube top dress of her own creation. He couldn't deny her beauty. Hell, he was a guy and he wasn't blind.

"You look nice tonight," Lucas said, offhandedly. Brooke smiled at him.

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself Broody," she rasped. He nodded, his eyes wandering back to the dance floor. His face melted into a smile when he caught sight of Peyton bouncing circles around Jake.

"Is it weird?"

"Is what weird?" Lucas asked looking back at Brooke. She gestured to the dance floor where Jake and Peyton were goofing around.

"Being friends with Jake…and knowing what him and Peyton had together."

Lucas's eyes shot back to Brooke's and narrowed slightly as he remembered the things she had said to Peyton. "No. Because what Jake and Peyton had is in the _past_. It happened a long time ago. A lot has changed."

"I can see that," Brooke replied, backing off a bit. "So Molly is…great."

"Yeah, she is," Lucas replied, smiling. "She reminds me a little bit of you. I'm really glad Jake found her. It was hard for him, I know. When he came home and Peyt and I were together…..but he got over it," he finished looking at Brooke meaningfully.

"He's really strong. I mean I know what they had together and I can't imagine getting over a love like that," she said quietly, making him have to lean in to hear her better.

"What exactly are you implying?"

"Well-I guess I'm just surprised Peyton got over Jake so quickly. I mean how quickly would she get over you?"

"I dunno," Lucas shrugged, frowning at her. "But we'll never have to find out, because we're going to be together forever," he said with a finality and sureness, that Brooke refused to hear.

"You sound pretty sure about that," she countered. Lucas raised an eyebrow and pinned her with a solid stare.

"I am."

"I remember you being pretty sure about other things too," Brooke said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking coyly away.

"Yeah well….Things change. Listen Brooke….What you said to Peyton tonight-"

"She told you about that?" Brooke gasped.

"Yeah. We're married Brooke. We share things with each other and she was upset."

"Look. She blew what I said way out of proportion. We were having a fine conversation, talking about your house and I just mentioned that it was your dream house-"

"Our dream house, Brooke. You told her about all the stuff you and I talked about ages ago when we were dating."

"It was completely innocent Luke. I didn't mean to step on her toes or anything."

"And telling her about the night of the championship game. Telling her that you _gave_ me to her? Did she blow that out of proportion too?" He asked accusingly.

Brooke stared at him, shocked. "Luke, I just-I didn't mean…I didn't mean it that way at all. Honestly."

"Then how did you mean it Brooke? Look, I know why you and Peyton stopped talking all those years ago. She told me yesterday."

Brooke shut her eyes, completely mortified. Of course Peyton told him. She liked opening her mouth when she wasn't supposed to, she thought.

"I loved Chase, Luke. He was my Molly after I lost you to Peyton for the second time."

"Brooke-"

"No, you say Peyton tells you everything, but did she ever tell you that the night of Haley and Nathan's rehearsal dinner she told me that she was still in love with you? That's why I wanted you to stay away from her at the wedding, why I was so mad at her….and why I ended up breaking up with you."

From the shocked look on Lucas's face, Peyton apparently failed to mention that. Brooke smirked. She'd always wondered how Lucas would feel if he knew the truth about why she broke up with him.

"Figures," she muttered. "She came back from seeing Jake-After _proposing_ to him, realized she was still in love with you, broke his heart and then mine."

Lucas looked back to the dance floor at Peyton and then back at Brooke, his eyes narrowing once again.

"So you said those things to hurt her? Is this some type of revenge Brooke? Because she told you the truth back in high school?"

"No," Brooke gasped, shocked that his irritation was directed at her. This wasn't going the way she wanted it to. "I just want you to know the truth."

Lucas chuckled, mirthlessly, not believing her for a second. "I want to leave _everything_ in the past, Brooke and so does Peyton, but when you bring shit up that doesn't matter anymore-It makes it hard to believe that you are here to really be her friend."

Panicked, Brooke shook her head. Dammit, she thought. She didn't want Lucas mad at her and she especially didn't want him thinking she was plotting against his precious Peyton.

"Luke, I'm hurt. I'm here to get my life together and to get over Chase, not hurt Peyton in any way."

"You are hurting her, Brooke. You hurt her," Lucas stated, his voice stern. He stood up, sighed, and shook his head. "Don't do it again."

Brooke watched him walk away, completely speechless as Rachel rejoined her.

"So how'd it go?"

"What happened to our plan back there?"

"Brooke that was your plan and it blew. I'd rather sleep with Mouth than listen to those two go at it all night and from the way he was looking at her earlier…..and the way he's looking at her now," she added as they watched Lucas wrap his arms around Peyton's waist and start swaying with her.

"They were going to do it whether I was there or not. So are you over this thing yet? Can we go home now?"

"No Rachel and I have no idea what it is you think I need to get over."

"You're going to get hurt Brooke. More than you already are right now. Why are you doing this?"

"I have nothing left to lose, Rachel," Brooke sighed.

**REVIEW PLEASE! Also -Do we want to see Lucas and Peyton's night together or not? I'll go by how much feedback I get.**


	20. Chapter 20

**I should probably have put this warning on the earlier naughty chapters. Sorry, ya'll. Well anywho, this chapter includes explicit sexual content between two married adults who I do not own. Hope you enjoy. And I hope Lindsey gets thrown under a bus...whoops I didn't mean that...yeah I did.**

Brooke sat down on her bed heavily, trying to think back on the events of the night. She had gotten far too drunk and said things she knew would bite her in the ass the next day. Peyton and Lucas were pissed at her, she knew. Neither she nor Lucas bothered saying goodbye to her when they left. She had managed to fuck everything up within two days of being home

After kicking off her shoes and dress, Brooke threw on her nightgown and slumped back onto the bed more than ready to shut her eyes and forget about the entire day. Her mind had other plans….and so did her phone.

She answered it quickly, mindful of waking the house, without looking at who it was.

"Hello?"

"Brooke. How are you?"

Brooke was silent for a long moment making the person on the other end wonder.

"Brooke? Are you still there?"

"Ye-yeah I am. Why are you calling me Chase?"

"I know you Brooke. I just wanted to call and make sure you were okay. See how you were. I ran into Rachel the other day and she said you were in Tree Hill."

"Yes. I am. And I'm fine."

"Mm-hm. Have you seen him?"

"Seen who?"

"Lucas. He's why you went home right?" His tone wasn't accusatory, necessarily, but the fact that he even brought Lucas up made her narrow her eyes.

"I came home because _you _broke up with me. Why are you even asking about Lucas?"

"Brooke people break up everyday in New York City. They don't immediately run back to their home town to people they haven't seen or spoken to in years. I figured you had come to the same realization that I came to awhile ago."

"And what is that," Brooke asked, although she knew what his answer would be before he even spoke.

"You're still in love with him."

"Excuse me? You called me after breaking my heart to tell me I am still in love with my ex-boyfriend," Brooke hissed. She really wanted to yell, but the kids were asleep down the hall.

"Brooke, I'm not an idiot. Hell-maybe I was for pretending for that long but-"

"Pretending? What are you saying you didn't love me?"

"Brooke, I loved you. You know I loved you, but you can only be with someone who doesn't love you back all the way for so long. You should know that better than anybody."

"Fuck you Chase. Seriously you have a really funny way of calling to check up on me," she cried, swiping angrily away at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm not trying to hurt you Brooke," Chase said gently. "I want what's best for you. I want to see you happy even if it is with another guy," he finished sadly. At that Brooke let loose another stream of tears.

Chase sighed. He really wanted Brooke happy, but he was worried that her trip to Tree Hill would only find her more heartache. He'd bet money that Lucas was still with Peyton based solely on the ball of excited energy Lucas was on the ride to pick up the girls from the airport after a summer apart.

"Have you found him?"

"Yeah I found him," Brooke whispered back. "I wish….God Chase I wish it was you."

"Yeah…..me too."

* * *

It had been a long evening and after hugs, kisses, and promises to keep in touch with Skillz and Bevin, Lucas and Peyton left Tric happily. They were more than ready to begin their evening alone together. Their quiet ride home was spent holding hands. Every once and awhile they would pull their eyes away from the road to look at their partner with a smile. Or Lucas would bring her hand up to his lips to kiss tenderly, causing shivers to run down Peyton's back and gooseflesh to rise on her arms.

This made Lucas ask, "You cold?" to which Peyton shook her head with a smile and he would kiss her hand again causing her to shiver all over again.

When they made it home, they separated, Lucas to lock up the house for the night and Peyton upstairs. She set her purse down with a sigh and walked to the French doors in their room that opened to a small balcony that held two wicker chairs and a small table. It was a beautiful balmy night in Tree Hill with a slight breeze that solidified Peyton's decision to keep the doors open that night. The breeze was too delicious to shut the doors tonight.

As she leaned on the railing, her mind went back to what Brooke had said to her and she got angry all over again. How dare she, Peyton thought. She hadn't said a word to Brooke when they left that night and neither had Lucas now that she thought about it. She'd seen him talking to Brooke earlier while she was dancing and was glad that she didn't feel jealous or threatened. When she first met Lindsey, Lucas's editor, earlier in their relationship, things had gotten a bit hairy and jealousy did manage to get the better of her once or twice. After all Lindsey was very beautiful and had everything together and was so…..nice. Too nice.

Fortunately for her Lucas always made it abundantly clear that Peyton was the only woman that mattered in his life.

She heard his footfall in the bedroom and felt his presence behind her before she felt his arms circle her waist. She leaned back into him and sighed contentedly, putting Brooke and Lindsey out of her head. She turned around in his arms and felt the smile on her face wilt slightly at the brooding look on his.

"What's wrong?"

"How much do you trust Brooke?"

The question threw her slightly off balance and she took a moment before replying, truthfully.

"I don't, really. Not completely." She lifted her hair and turning around again, silently asking him to remove her necklace.

"I want to," she added, turning around to look at him. She took the necklace from him and dropped it onto the table where Lucas had placed two glasses of wine.

"Why? Do you not trust her?"

Lucas shrugged, his eyes taking in her form and the way her skin shone in the moonlight. Peyton had grown into a beautiful woman. Many women her age after having two children hated their bodies and Peyton being a woman in America was not completely happy with hers, but Lucas loved every single curve giving birth to two children had given her. She had always been willowy, but now her breasts were fuller, her hips more curvaceous and her legs, though still amazing, had lost that 'chickeny' quality that Lucas loved teasing her about.

His eyes land on the bruise on her arm that is beginning to darken and he clenches his jaw in annoyance. That anyone had put a mark on the body that had held and nourished his two babies for nine months, made him angry beyond belief. That a so-called friend had left a bruise on the heart he loved so dearly above his own made him just as mad, if not madder.

"Not really," he answered, finally. He was getting a bad feeling about Brooke coming back into their lives. It made him think about the conversation he'd had with Nathan earlier that night about happiness. Was Brooke that bad thing he had been waiting for? The last thing he wanted was another Lindsey debacle.

Early on in their relationship someone had sent Peyton photos of him and Lindsey having dinner and of Lindsey kissing Lucas on the cheek at a book signing in LA. Lindsey had denied knowing anything about how the photos were taken or how they ended up in Peyton's hands. Things between them had been hairy for awhile after that.

He never wanted Peyton to hurt that way or doubt his love for her ever again. Seeing those tears in her eyes had undone him.

Lucas sighed and then chuckled at himself lightly. There he was, raining on his own parade when here in front of him stood his Venus, his Aphrodite. The look she was giving him was thoroughly confused and he smiled at her and shook his head.

"Lets not talk about her anymore," he murmured, walking towards her. He picked up the two wine glasses and handed her one. He held his glass up and was about to speak a toast, but his eyes flickered to hers, as large and luminescent as the moon itself and realized they needed no words as she smiled at him and he smiled back. They clinked their glasses together, their eyes still speaking volumes and making countless speeches.

He took her glass from her and set them both back down on the table, neither of them without a sip. His hands rise again. One cups her cheek tenderly, the other reaches up and cups her breast, his thumb slowly stroking the already hardened peak. They both swallow noisily and the pounding of their beating hearts join the sounds of wind dancing through the leaves of their Weeping Willow tree.

"Lucas," she breaths. He leans in, tilting his head, as if to kiss her and at the very last second changes his course, pulling back slightly to stare at her again as their breath mingles between them. He picks her up bridal style and carries her inside, setting her down on her feet next to their bed.

Her hands move to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them slowly, while his hands caress her arms. She leans in to kiss his chest, sucking lightly through his undershirt and he lets out a light moan. She pushes the shirt off his shoulders, letting it flutter to the floor and then leans up to kiss and suck on his adam's apple. At this he lets out a long quivering breath and his hands travel up to her hair, smoothing her hair back.

Still no words, as her hands descend to the hem of his undershirt and lifts it up and over his head. He looks down at her a smile tugging his lips. He's aching to kiss her and he sees that same ache in her eyes, but this dance they are doing is one they've done before. Their breath is coming quickly as he slowly reaches for the bottom of her dress and pulls up, slowly, his hands dragging across her skin as they continue upward to rid her of this sexy piece of black cloth. His hands pause at her breasts long enough to brush his thumbs across her nipples and continue up until finally the dress is dropped to the side and she stands before him clad in nothing but green lace thong and black stilettos. He doesn't know what to touch first, he just knows he wants every part of his skin touching every part of hers.

He touches her lips first, with a finger and drags it straight down her throat, between her heaving breasts and to her navel.

"You're so soft," he whispers, barely loud enough for even his own ears, but she hears him and shuts her eyes in ecstasy as he lowers his lips to the side of her neck. Her entire body is tingling and every touch of his skin upon hers is felt deep inside of her. His hands whispers across her body, finally resting lightly on her lower back. They don't stay there for long as his right hand finds its way back to her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple with featherlike strokes. His lips are like a ghost across her shoulders, neck, and collarbone, teasing her to the point of exploding.

Her hands are not idle as they press against his pecs and move down over his chest and stomach. Her fingers, trace the patterns of muscles she feels. Her fingernails, tease his hardened nipples and then finds his belt which she unbuckles. His breath comes faster and shorter as she reaches for his zipper and slowly unzips him, her hand grazing his penis which is hard as steel and pulsing. He hisses and bites down on her skin, none to gently and Peyton nearly crumbles with the pleasure-pain. Lucas's hands steady her even as he soothes the bite with the tip of his tongue.

His pants are shoved to the floor and he steps out of them, toeing off his shoes and socks too. Peyton bites her lips hard as she takes in the beautiful sight of him, naked save his boxer briefs which are straining with the size of his erection. Those are soon gone too and Peyton shivers only because he has been away from her for too long and she needs his skin on her. She moves forward and places her hands on his hips before kneeling down before him.

The sight alone makes his penis twitch. He's leaking pre-cum and he is more than very ready for her. It takes every ounce of will power he has not to come when she reaches her tongue out to run it across the tip of his penis.

"Oh God," he whimpers, tugging on her hair lightly to bring her up. She stands in front of him, no question in her eye as with a moan he cups the back of her head with one hand and pulls her head towards his. They finally plunder each other's mouths hungrily. Their tongues clashing hotly, he moans throatily at the taste of her and wraps his arms tightly around her waist, picking her up and laying her down on their bed, before covering her body with his own.

"Lucas," Peyton whines, after they come up for air, panting. She arches her body into his, rubbing herself against his erection. The touch of their skin is like electricity. The game is over. They've both had enough of the teasing and the foreplay.

Lucas pulls away just long enough to rid her of her panties and with a wolfish grin decides to leave her stilettos on; a move that makes Peyton smirk at him. He leans down to leave soft sensual kisses on the insides of her thighs, making her gasp and grasp their sheets tightly.

"Lucas," she mewls. He moans his reply as he is drawn to her scent, reaching out to taste her with his tongue. "Oh God, Luke," she squeals as he takes hold of her thighs and continues to go down on her, reveling and lavishing in her taste and the unrestrained sounds of his wife's pleasure. It doesn't take her long to climax, screaming his name and writhing around wantonly.

Lucas crawls back up towards Peyton, stopping to love her breasts. Pulling one nipple into his mouth to suckle, he plays with the other one, squeezing and rolling it between his fingers. Peyton purrs with pleasure, plunges her hands into his short locks and brings him back up to her to take his waiting mouth with her own. Theirs lips move against each other passionately, their tongues dancing together at a leisurely pace.

She pushes on him and rolls them over so she straddles him. Still tingling from her orgasm, she grabs a hold of him and begins stroking him.

"Oh FUCK Peyt," he gasps into her mouth.

"Are you ready?" She asks, pressing another kiss to his lips before lifting herself over him slipping the tip of him inside of her. Lucas moans and places his hands on her hips.

"For you? Always," is his panted reply before bucking his hips upwards. Peyton slides onto him, the slick friction causing them to cry out in ecstasy. She begins rocking her hips and he thrusts upwards, gazing up at her through heavy lids.

He thinks how different their lives could have turned out. What if he had not gone to Los Angeles? What if Peyton had stayed out West? What if Lindsey hadn't called to tell him her publishing house wanted to publish his book on his way back from LA? So much could have been different. But he knows that no matter what paths they would have taken, they would end up in the same place, right here in each other's arms.

"I love you," he rasps, knowing the words or even the act will not ever be enough to let this woman above him even come close to knowing how much he loves her. He sits up, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pecks her lips softly, sweetly. "I love you so damn much, Peyton."

Momentarily choked up at the sweetness in his tone, she gazes into his eyes which are currently the color of a stormy sea at dusk, dark with desire, shining with pure love. This is one of those moments, she thinks. One of those moments people miss because they are going too fast to see it.

"I love you too, Luke," she whispers back. "More than you will ever know." At this moment her babies are safe and warm in the safety of her mother in law's house. Her friends-well save Brooke-are happy. She has a job she loves and a beautiful home. And in her arms, staring into her eyes, is her soul mate, her heart. This is what it feels like to have everything you want and all you need.

Peyton leans in and presses her lips to his. He opens his mouth underneath hers and she feels his hot tongue slide out to coax her lips apart. She offers her mouth to him and he partakes. His hand cups the back of her head, his fingers burying themselves deep in her curls and the other moves slowly up and down her spine.

A light breeze dances through the room from the French doors cooling their heated bodies, causing them to shiver in delight. Yes this is one of those moments, she thinks as he flips them over suddenly making her squeal into his mouth in shocked delight. Lucas chuckles in reply, continuing in his mission to kiss her senseless and pounding a steady delicious rhythm between her legs.

She has a lot of those moments and Peyton realizes that she is one of the lucky ones. Her life had begun with uncertainty as the unplanned child of a drug addict, as the child who lost her adopted mother and subsequently her adopted father albeit mentally and then physically. Her teenaged years only seemed to get worse, but somewhere along the way things began to get good. Really really fucking good.

And it's about to get even better. Peyton feels her orgasm creeping up on her. She pulls away from the kiss and begins whimpering his name again and again. Lucas loves it when she does that. He loves hearing his name laced with pleasure from her lips.

"Feel so good," he whispers, his ability to form sentences becoming compromised as wave after wave of pleasure tickles his belly and flows out over his entire body. He leans his forehead against hers, staring into her face. "Look at me."

Peyton snaps her eyes open to look into Lucas's. They both gasp as they continue to move against each other feeling like they are falling into each other.

"I love you," Lucas says again, reaching between them to draw circles around her clit. Peyton's mouth falls open and she shuts her eyes again, but they fly open again at Lucas's order. His eyes are dark with intensity and the circles he is teasing her with close in on their target.

"I want to see you come, baby," he husks before his finger finds its target and begins rubbing small circles on her clit.

And she does. Hard. Her hands are on his hips pulling on them as he crashes his hips into hers frantically. She's screaming and the intensity of her orgasm sets Lucas off on his own trip. He sees stars and they are all the color of his wife's eyes.

They collapse together in a tangle of quivering sweaty limbs. Lucas begins to move so as not to crush her, but Peyton's arms stop him with a quickness that surprises her since her arms feel like so much jello.

"I'm too heavy, babe," he murmurs.

"You're perfect," she whispers back, tightening her hold on his waist. He smiles, warmed by her words and tenderly wipes away the tears that had fallen from her eyes when she came. They share an Eskimo kiss and then a real kiss, gentle, tender, with mininimal tongue as the night air that's flowing through their room cools them. Their hands begin to travel once again, caressing each other's skin. Peyton's legs move up and down the sides of Lucas's body and his lips move down to nibble and suck her neck.

"Oh Luke," Peyton sighs and then moans slightly as she feels Lucas beginning to harden inside her again. "You're insatiable," she chuckles lightly.

"You better not fall asleep on me," Lucas muttered, with a smirk. Peyton had fallen asleep on him on more than one occasion after they were finished making love.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Peyton replied, gasping in delight as he began moving inside her soft flesh once again. " I wouldn't dream of it."

**How'd I do? I'm all distracted by school. Sorry if it sucked. :p**


	21. Chapter 21

**Um...yeah. Lucas and everyone who wants to rest blame solely on Peyton's shoulders for their break up are pissing me off. This season has made me despise Lucas, but I am still trying to hold on. Peyton is annoying me a bit too, but I am holding on.**

This season is sort of pissing me off too to be honest, but once again, I'm holding on because it is clear that the saga that is Lucas and Peyton is no where near finished. I just hope Mark doesn't screw us over.

It would just be nice to see them, really happy together for once in a real way. I feel like we get teased every season, including season 4(insert bullshit love scene in Honey Grove here). Anyway, here is the next installment. It's short, but considering how things on the show have been going I think we need this.

This chapter is kind of explicit too.

_Peyton stands at the door of his bedroom in his childhood home, eyes shining with unshed tears. He stares back at her stoically at the hurt and confusion in her eyes as they flicker back to the ring on Lindsey's finger. _

"Lucas just proposed." The words echo in her head painfully. She can barely make out the regret behind his steely eyes, but she doesn't stay long enough to be sure…..

"Don't marry her. Marry me," she begged.

"I'm in love with her Peyton," he couldn't look in her eyes until that moment and at that moment, whatever else was left of her heart disintegrated.

"No!" Peyton awoke with a start, her heart racing. She stared around her bedroom, panting. Her bedroom. Her bedroom with Lucas. She and Lucas were married and they had two beautiful children and Lindsey was safely tucked away in New York.

"It was just a dream," she murmured to herself looking down at Lucas lying on his stomach beside her. She brushed a hand through his hair and sighed, breathing in the night air that billowed through their bedroom to calm herself.

She looked at the clock. 3:30am. She had only been asleep for an hour, but the dream seemed so long and drawn out. And so terrible. She hated dreams-no nightmares like that. The ones that held onto you like a vice for long moments after you woke up, so you didn't know whether you were still dreaming or not. And the feelings she felt were still holding onto her and choking her with fear.

"Peyt?"

Her head jerked down to the sound of her husband's voice to find him peeking up at her. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hey baby," he whispered back, turning himself over, sleepily. He reached up to take hold of her arm and pulled her down into his embrace. She held onto him tightly-so tightly he looked down at her with worry, rubbing her back. "Your heart is racing, babe."

"I had a bad dream," she murmured back, shakily. He made a sound of sympathy and turned so they were looking at each other.

"You wanna tell me about it?" His brows furrowed, as he took in the apparent pain in her eyes. "Babe," he whispered. "What is it?"

"It's stupid, Luke. It was so strange though. You know when you have those dreams that seem like weeks or even months have gone by, when it has only been like an hour or something?"

He nodded and she continued, "Well…I-Luke it's dumb. I dreamed you were with Lindsey-"

"Woah, wait. Like cheating on you?"

"No, you and I weren't together. I never came home from LA and we had been broken up for two years and you were mad at me because you had asked me to marry you and I said I wasn't ready, but you left me-you left me without even saying goodbye and when I came back home to Tree Hill two years later a complete failure in LA you were dating Lindsey. And then…long story short we fought and kissed and then you went home and proposed to her, I begged you not to marry her, but you said you were in love with her. Then I woke up."

Lucas stared at her, a deep frown distorting his handsome features. After a short moment he exclaimed, "That's a _horrible_ dream!"

"I know! I know and what was worse was…we weren't us…I mean we were still us, but we weren't. Its hard to explain, but we had become people I could never be proud of," she whispered, looking away from him. Lucas reached up to wipe away a tear that raced down her cheek.

"God Luke it was like I was seeing us if we had taken a different path and it….I hated it. It felt so real and seeing Lindsey with my ring and it was _my _ring Luke and the look you gave me when she showed it to me was so-It wasn't you Luke and it hurt so bad and I just need you to put you hands on me beca- "

Always one to do as he was told, Lucas cut her off by pressing his lips passionately to hers with so much force her mouth opened beneath his. His hand dove into her hair pulling her closer to him and she goes to him with just as much force, needing him to kiss and touch away that nightmare.

She moaned as his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth, flipping her over onto her back and covering her body with his own. His hands moved up and down her sides, hungrily and he growled in approval when her legs wrapped themselves tight around his waist.

Their movements were frantic, rough, like they couldn't get enough of each other and couldn't have each other fast enough. He wanted her to feel him. He wanted to erase that dream and erase the Lucas Scott that could have been. The Lucas Scott that hurt her. They had spent a better part of the night passionately making love to each other over and over again and his plan was to continue doing so until the sun came up. He was worried about this dream though. With all that had been going on, he was surprised it was Lindsey and not Brooke she had dreamed about. Either way, he didn't like where her mind was taking her.

He pulled back from their kiss and looked down into her eyes, "There isn't one thing I don't love about you," Lucas whispered. Peyton sighed at his words, letting them comfort her and the Peyton that could have been.

"I love you Lucas," she whimpered back. He leaned down to kiss her again, dipping his tongue into her mouth and reveling in the way it felt as it brushed against hers. When he pulled back he smiled at her and replied, huskily,

"I love you too baby doll."

Peyton pulled him back to her, slanting her mouth under his, shivering in delight as he began moving his thick hard erection back and forth between her moist folds.

"Oh God Lucas," she groaned, as a the friction began to build. Every thrust rubbed her clitoris and she felt herself beginning to climb the peak towards an orgasm. "Now! I need you inside of me now," she cried as he kissed and sucked on her neck.

"Are you sure," he teased, slipping two fingers inside of her and groaning to find her soaking wet.

"Fuck Lucas," Peyton ground out, grabbing a hold of his hips. Her voice taking on a breathy wonton quality. "Now. I want you to fuck the shit out of me now…..and _hard_."

Dirty talk. It always worked on him. Lucas felt himself harden even more and always one to do as he was told Lucas removed his fingers from her, grabbed hold of her legs to hike them further up his back and slammed into her. Her body welcomed him home by clenching around him and both their mouths fell open to moan loudly.

In this fashion Lucas Scott proceeded to fuck the shit out of Peyton Sawyer Scott for the next hour and a half.


	22. Chapter 22

"I don't think I'll be able to move tomorrow," Peyton sighed as she lounged against Lucas's chest in the bathroom, glowing soft orange light from the many candles Lucas had set alight. She wouldn't have made it to the rose oil scented bath they were now soaking in had Lucas not carried her bridal style to show her the sudsy romance novel masterpiece he'd made in the bathroom complete with music playing softly in the background-a mix he had made for her for one of their anniversaries full of love songs that reminded him of them.

Lucas chuckled and opened his eyes. "I'm right there with you Blondie," he sighed in reply, leaning down to kiss her neck. "It's worth it though. Tonight has been amazing."

"Mmmm," Peyton hummed back.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, leaning down to drop nibbley kisses on her shoulder that made the butterflies in her stomach start flying. She was quiet for awhile and he furrowed his brows.

"You aren't still thinking about that dream are you?"

"Mm-mm," Peyton shook her head, no, and it was the truth. That dream had disappeared and only served to make her even happier wrapped in the loving embrace of her husband.

"I'm just thinking how lucky we are. How lucky we are that we chose this path instead of so many others."

"Peyt," Lucas said quietly. "Any path we would have taken….no matter how bad things got or how many times our hearts got broken, I'm certain that my destiny would remain the same. And that is to be by your side. To love you."

"Oh, Luke," Peyton whispered, getting choked up at his words.

"I mean it," he said in a husky voice before lowering his lips to the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She shivered, as his hands moved slowly over her body. "You're a miracle Peyton."

That statement not only made the tears that had been swimming in her eyes fall, but it also took her back to another relatively quiet night in their home when it was just the two of them….soon to be three.

Lucas briefly rubbed his eyes and rolled over to reach for his wife, slowly opening his eyes when he found her side of the bed empty.

"Peyton?" He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and peeked into the bathroom, a place she spent a great deal of time in now that she was at her seven month mark and the baby had decided her bladder made an excellent pillow. Finding the bathroom empty he walked downstairs, grabbing a baseball bat when he heard a small clatter.

"Peyton?" He crept into the kitchen and sighed when he saw Peyton rummaging through the freezer. A half eaten banana lay on the island counter along with a box of graham crackers.

He set the bat against the wall and walked up behind her, hoping she would find what she was looking for in the freezer so he wouldn't have to go to the store at three thirty in the morning. He'd run into Nathan once on a late night run. Both brother's just sighed at each other and held up their respective food items for their pregnant wives.

"Peyt?"

The woman jumped and spun, eyes wide with fright. "You jackass," she yelped, smacking his bare chest. "You scared the crap out of me," she sighed, placing a hand to her racing heart and the other on her large belly.

"I'm sorry baby," he couldn't help but chuckle. "You weren't in bed and I got worried."

"That I was giving birth in the kitchen? I think you would have heard me," she joked, turning back to the freezer. She squealed with happiness and pulled out a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

"Um Peyt?"

"Um-hm?" Peyton had gotten a spoon and was struggling to get up on the counter. Her favorite place to sit when she was having a midnight snack.

"What's with the banana and crackers," Lucas asked, while helping her up.

"Oh the banana is the reason I came down here. I woke up really wanting one and then I didn't want it anymore. Can you hand me those graham crackers?"

Lucas grabbed the box and handed them to her. She opened them up and crumbled them into the ice cream while Lucas looked on with eyebrows cast upwards. It wasn't as gross as some of the stuff she'd eaten before, but it was definitely weird. Peyton was a quantity eater, not quality. Watching her shove food in her face was actually kind of amazing to watch, yet she still remained surprisingly trim. Peyton had that perfect basketball belly and it drove Haley insane. It being her first pregnancy her doctor wanted her to gain more weight and Peyton happily tried to oblige by eating everything in sight.

"Sorry I worried you," Peyton said around a mouthful of ice cream and graham crackers. Lucas dumped the banana in the garbage can and walked back to his wife, who was currently trying to balance the pint of ice cream on her belly. It was incredibly cute watching her try to balance thing on her belly and the look on her face when she made something stay was priceless. It had eventually become a game for the two of them when they were sitting on the couch together.

"It's okay," Lucas smiled after a beat.

"No really Luke," Peyton sighed and for a moment Lucas thought she was going to cry. It was a strong possibility these days. In her seventh month of pregnancy Peyton was difficult to handle. She was constantly moody constantly horny and always hungry. If she wasn't trying to have sex with him, she was picking a fight or doing her damndest to finish everything in the refrigerator.

"I've been bitchy and combative an-I've been me times a thousand and I'm sorry. You've been so good with me and so patient and I don't des-"

"Hey," Lucas interrupted, placing a finger on her lips and stepping between her legs.

"Don't say it. Has it been easy? No, but Peyt you're like this because you're carrying my baby in there. I don't care how bitchy or combative you get. Or how many Downey paper towel commercials you cry at. You can set the AC as low as you want it. I'll just wear a sweater. Send me across the country to buy whatever you want to eat at whatever time. You can call me every name under the sun." He paused to smile as she giggled at him and then placed a tender hand on her cheek.

"Bring it on. I'll take it. Because we made a little person together and your body-God you're beautiful, beautiful body is nourishing them; keeping him or her safe and warm. I can't imagine what it must be like for you, watching your body change so much, but from my perspective…Peyton it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You take my breath away, sometimes. You're a miracle Peyton," Lucas whispered to her, his eyes staring at her in wonder as he was wont to do since her body began to expand.

"My miracle. And you are carrying our miracle and for that alone I should be the one thanking you."

"Luke," Peyton whispered, tears bathing her cheeks. He leaned in and kissed her cheeks, nuzzled her nose and kissed her gently. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Blondie. I know you're uncomfortable and it sucks, but two more months and we'll finally get to meet our little guy."

"Or girl," Peyton added with a wink. Smiling happily, Peyton took another bite of her ice cream. How could life be any better? She had ice cream(which was SO hitting the spot),the love of her life gazing at her as though she was a sunset, and she was about to be a mother.

"Can I have a bite?"

Peyton paused, her mouth full, she removed the spoon from her mouth and mumbled, "No," which was followed by a giggle at the shocked look on Lucas's face that was quickly followed by a pout. Laughing, she fed him a bite.

"You know," he began with a voice low and gravelly. "The reason people love ice cream so much has to do with the texture and feel of it on your tongue," He took the carton from her and fed her a bite.

"The lipids in the ice cream are what make it so attractive to our tongues," he continued as she swished it around in her mouth with a sigh. "It's smooth and cool and thick. The sweetness and the taste are just bonuses."

"That's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me," Peyton sighed. Lucas chuckled and leaned in the rest of the way to meet her kiss.

Her tongue was cold and sweet as it snaked into his warm mouth. He moaned, opening his mouth to her and tasting the sweetness of her mouth with his own tongue.

They broke their kiss and Peyton opened her mouth for more ice cream, which Lucas gladly fed to her before swooping his mouth down to hers and giggling they shared the bite. They finished the entire pint in that fashion and it really got them in the mood.

Peyton had been horny for her entire pregnancy so far and Lucas had been more than willing to oblige her whenever and where ever she wanted sex. Although ever since the day the doctor told them the baby had developed ears and ear drums and "yes it could hear them," it made him wonder if this would have any sort of psychological effects on their child.

Loosening the ponytail so he could run his fingers through her hair Lucas made out with his wife a bit more on the counter before lifting her down. They went back upstairs after Lucas vetoed Peyton's plea to do it on the kitchen table. He pictured them both toppled off from all the extra weight, but he wouldn't tell Peyton that for fear she wouldn't speak to him the rest of the night and the next day for basically calling her fat.

"What are you smiling about?" Lucas asked, nuzzling her cheek.

"Just a happy memory," she replied, leaning back against him.

"There's a lot to chose from," Lucas smiled.

"Yes there are," Peyton murmured as she lifted herself up and turned to straddle Lucas's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he in turn enfolded her in his arms, wrapping her up like a cocoon.

Lucas shivered, letting out a shuddering breath. Peyton had the softest skin he had ever touched and it was astonishing to him. The feel of it against his bare skin was nothing short of orgasmic. "Hey Peyt?"

"Mm hm," Peyton murmured, brushing her lips softly over his cheeks and then giving him an Eskimo kiss. Pressed a finger to his lips exploring the luscious shape and velvety texture.

"Lets make another memory," he whispered, kissing the tip of her finger. Peyton whispered a quiet yeah and replaced her finger with her lips.

**...Um...Peyton in last week's episode was...um wow. I'm am now convinced there is a brucas fan/Peyton hater (because we know they are one in the same) doing the writing for this show and Mark is letting this shit slide because he doesn't want brucas fans to hate him for continuing with the way the show was meant to go and by that I mean not ever having Lucas and Brooke together ever again. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it until further notice. **

**I felt bad for Lindsey before, although who says yes to a proposal after fighting with their boyfriend about his ex who you both know he is still in love with or at the very least is not over?**


	23. Chapter 23

**I've been thinking about moving this story to the T-K or is it K-T section and just marking the chapters that are Mature. I just feel like stories don't get a whole lot of traffic in Mature-ville and my story really is mostly rated T. Anyone agree?**

**Thanks again for all the great reviews. I appreciate them greatly. **

"Gramma look at me," Anna cried, waving frantically at the dark haired woman as Lily pushed her on the swing set.

"I see you baby girl! Hold on with both hands," Karen yelled back. "Lily, be gentle, honey!"

"I know, Ma," Lily replied with a roll of her eyes. Karen sat back down on the bench, smiling as the sounds of children laughing and squealing sliced through the suburban noon day air. Jamie was going down a slide with a giggling William, while Amalia sat beside Deb and herself inspecting one of many books Deb had packed for her. Little Amalia was turning into quite the little bookworm and they often joked she seemed more like the spawn of the blonde Scott brother instead of the dark haired one.

"It seems like a lifetime since I was here with Nathan," Deb said, placing a hand over her brow to shade her eyes from the bright sun.

"Oh God," Karen laughed. "I still can't believe how fast they grew. Even with Lily. She just sprouted up before I could blink. She asked me if we could go shopping for a training bra the other day and I actually started tearing up a bit."

"You're doing a great job with her Karen," Deb said in reply. "Keith would be so proud of the young lady she's becoming."

Smiling, softly Karen placed a thankful hand on Deb's. The blonde woman had become a close friend to her in the past few years. Some might think their bond grew from the mutual hatred for the man who gave them their sons, but really they had both come into a time in their lives that found them both happy and content. They were also the youngest grandmothers in Tree Hill.

"So what time are you dropping the kids off?" Deb asked, changing the subject abruptly. 

"I don't know. When I called this morning Lucas and Peyton were still in bed. I think they need some more time to…wake up," she smirked, while Deb laughed.

"Think you'll be a grandmother again in another nine months?"

"Please," Karen laughed. "William can barely say his own name. I would hope they'd have a little more sense then that."

"I don't think Lucas and Peyton have much of it when it comes to the other."

"No they have too much of it. That's how they got Anna and William," Karen sighed. Deb snickered and Karen joined her in her laughter.

"Grandma! Karen!" Jamie came running over to the two women holding William. The panicked look on his face had both women on their feet in an instant.

"Honey what is it?" Deb took William out of his arms and the boy pointed across the playground to a man in a baseball cap, sunglasses and a beard crouched in front of Lily.

"Lily!" Karen called, holding out her hand for Anna who had run away because the man who had approached them gave her the creeps. She ignored Karen's hand and ran behind her instead, wrapping her arms around the woman's leg.

As Deb stared at the man, there came recognition despite the sunglasses and beard. She would know that man anywhere.

"Grandma," Jamie said quietly. "….I think it's Grandpa."

"Lily come here right now!" Karen's voice rose in pitch and panic, as she stared at the man who had been engaging her daughter. Lily finally made it in front of her mother, her face troubled.

"Mom, he said he knew my dad." Karen felt a chill go down her spine, not at her daughter's words, but at the look she knew she was getting from behind those sunglasses. She knew those eyes, because they were given to her son by the devil himself.

"We're leaving right now," she whispered, reaching around behind her to grab a frightened Anna's hand. As they paraded the children out of the park, Deb was fuming under her breathe.

"How did this happen? How did he get out?"

"I don't know," Karen murmured, glancing back over her shoulder. He was gone. "I don't know Deb but you can be damn sure I'm going to find out."

* * *

"What's this?" Peyton smiled as Lucas walked into their bedroom wearing nothing but sweatpants holding a breakfast tray.

"I made my beautiful wife breakfast," Lucas replied, kneeling down on the bed and setting the tray over her lap.

"Oo, bacon," she squealed snatching a crisp slice off the plate.

"I made all your favorites while you were snoozing."

"You're so sweet baby, thank you." She pecked him on the lips three times and then dug in happily, adding, "I'm famished," around a mouth full of scrambled eggs.

Lucas grinned as Peyton shoveled food into her mouth.

"I'm not that good am I?"

"Hum?" Peyton looked at him with wide questioning eyes, her mouth full of food. Lucas chuckled at her cuteness and touched her cheek gently.

"You look like you're eating for two," he replied with a raised eyebrow and a grin. Peyton snickered.

"I know Scott sperm is potent stuff but it's not _that_ good. I'm starving because I got a hell of a work out last night and that….I know I can blame on you," she purred leaning over to interlock her lips with his.

"Mmmm," he hummed. "Are you finished?"

"Luke," Peyton laughed. "How are you still ready for more?"

"Because," Lucas picked up the tray and moved it to the end of the bed then crawled back up to pull Peyton into his arms. "My wife is incredibly sexy and I can't even begin to get enough of her. Plus I had two cups of coffee while I was making breakfast."

They nuzzled their noses and Peyton giggled as Lucas began nibbling on her neck.

"Do you?"

"Make love again? Hell yes," came his muffled answer.

"No," Peyton laughed. "A baby."

This made Lucas lift his head up and look Peyton in the eyes.

"Do you want to have another baby? I mean not now, obviously. William is still so young, but-soon."

"What brought this on?"

"Nothing really, I mean I know we both have always wanted a bigger family and last night I was just thinking about how happy you make me and how happy the kids make me. I don't know, I just feel ready."

A soft smile appeared on Lucas's face and he leaned in to kiss her tenderly.

"I would love nothing more than to make another baby with you Peyton Sawyer Scott," he said quietly.

"I'd have to go off the pill," Peyton replied, choked up by his answer. "It would be the first baby we plan."

Lucas smiled. Both William and Anna had been pleasant surprises.

"Just tell me when you're ready and I will be more than willing to do my part."

"Okay." Peyton nodded, her curls bouncing around her head. They smiled at each other, both of them thinking about how their lives could change once again for the better.

"I hope it's a little girl," Lucas said, suddenly. "With your curls and your eyes."

"Anna would be so jealous," Peyton laughed as they snuggled back into their pillows and started munching off the breakfast tray.

"Of her hair?"

"No," Peyton giggled. "Of another baby girl stealing her daddy away from her."

"You think?"

"There's a special bond between a daughter and her father. I know that better than anybody."

"That's true, but…Anna is my first born. She's my first baby, you know? That's…that's always going to be special."

Peyton bit her lip as she watched Lucas's mind wander. She knew he was thinking of Dan. Sometimes being the first born wasn't enough.

"Baby?"

"Hm?"

"I know that whether we have another baby girl or even another baby boy it won't matter because you are wonderful father. Keith would be so proud of the man and the father you've become."

Lucas looked up at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"So…" Lucas sighed, putting the breakfast try on the ground. "You wanna practice making a baby…again?"

"When is Karen coming back with the kids?"

"She called like an hour and a half ago," he replied, unbuttoning his dress shirt that she was wearing. "She took them to the park with Deb, Lil, Jamie and Amalia."

"Well then," Peyton smiled, as Lucas lowered the shirt from her shoulders. "Lets take full advantage of this."

Peyton wrapped her arms around Lucas's neck and pulled him down on top of her. He moaned as she wrapped her long legs around his hips, pulling him closer to her and thrust her tongue into his mouth. Their tongues wrestled and he bucked his hips into hers making her groan in approval.

Just as she moved to lower his sweatpants the phone rang.

"Don't answer it," he husked sealing his lips over hers again. She let him kiss her for a moment longer, but then pulled away.

"It might be the gallery, babe. Just a second." She reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello? Karen?! Karen slow down. What is it! Is it the kids?"

Lucas was already up and pulling a shirt and jeans on, all the while his panicked eyes were on Peyton.

"Okay. Okay, we'll be here. Just come in." Peyton hung up the phone, rummaging through drawers to find clothes.

"Peyton, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. She just said she was coming here and she was bringing Deb and the kids with her. She sounded funny Luke. Something is wrong, but I don't know what it is."

"Come on," Lucas sighed. "They should be here soon. Lets go wait for them."

They both went down stairs, wondering what could have happened in an hour and a half that could have Karen so panicked. Peyton sat down on the couch and clasped her hands together worriedly.

"It had to be something she didn't want to say in front of the kids, right? Otherwise she would have told me, right?"

"I don't know," Lucas murmured. He began pacing up and down the carpet. "Mom doesn't get all cloak and dagger for no reason."

The front door opened and Peyton shot to her feet and followed Lucas who was already halfway to the door.

Anna got to him first, throwing herself into his arms and burying her face in his neck. "Anna banana, hey baby girl," he greeted looking up at his mother over her head. He could tell by the look on her face that what she had to say was bad. He glanced over at Deb and read her face as well. Very very bad.

"Hey guys," Peyton greeted, taking a sleeping William out of Karen's arms. "Karen…what happened?"

"Lily, Jamie can you take Amalia and Anna out back to play, please," Karen asked. The two children nodded, but Anna shook her head vehemently.

"I don't wanna go," she said in a small voice. She looked up at Lucas with big green eyes and a sad pout. "Dadda I'm scared."

Lucas furrowed his brows and smoothed her hair back. "Baby, why are you scared to go out back and play?"

"The scary man with the beard might come," she replied a small tear trailing down her cheek. Peyton and Lucas exchanged an alarmed look before Lucas knelt down and looked Anna in the eyes.

"Sweetie. Baby look at Daddy," he said, wiping her face gently. "You know Mommy, Grandma, Deb, Jamie, and Lily would never ever let anything happen to you right? You know I would never ever let anything happen to you?"

"Yes," she sniffled, placing her little hands on his shoulders. "Coz it's your job to protect me from bad guys."

Lucas smiled, and cupped his daughter's cheek. "That's right. And when I'm not around, Jamie and Lily are here to protect you too."

"That's right, Anna," Jamie piped in. "I'm a big kid. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"Me neither," Lily said. "Besides, you're my favorite neice."

"But Lily, I'm your only neice," Anna said innocently, but it made everyone laugh.

"Yeah, and you're my favorite," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Momma and I are right inside. If you get scared you can come right inside, okay?"

"Kay," Anna nodded, patting his shoulders. He pulled her in to hug her and kiss her on the cheek before letting her go.

Anna stopped to hug and kiss Peyton's legs, with a "Hi Mommy," before taking Amalia and Jamie's hands and letting them lead her out back.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Lucas cried, when the children were out of earshot. "Why is Anna terrified to go play in her own backyard."

Karen let Lucas's cursing slide, because she knew there would be more to come. She exchanged a look with Deb.

"Karen," Peyton murmured, cradling William to her chest. "Please. What happened?"

"It's Dan," Deb blurted. "He was at the park."

"Dan?" Peyton looked at Lucas, whose eyes went blank. "As in Dan Scott who went to prison for murdering Keith?"

"Father of the year himself," Deb said. "He was wearing sunglasses and a hat. Sporting a Charles Manson beard, but I would know that evil son of a bitch anywhere."

"Karen?" Peyton looked to her mother in law.

"He talked to Lily. He told her he _knew_ her father," Karen replied, her voice shaking with rage.

"And Jamie saw him. He knows what Dan looks like. It was him," Deb added.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Lucas exploded.

"_How!?_"

William jumped in his sleep at his father's outburst, but settled back into his mother's tight embrace.

"If you let me use your phone, I'll find out right now. I didn't want to make the call in front of the children," Deb said.

"You can use the phone in the office, Deb. I'm going to put him down upstairs," she said quietly. She looked back with worry at Lucas, before she ascended the stairs with her son.

Deb walked off and Lucas walked into the living room with Karen following him. Lucas sank into the couch and put his head in his hands.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Luke," she said, sitting down in a chair. Lucas's head shot up.

"Did he talk to Anna?"

"No. He didn't. I think the look of him frightened her more than anything, Luke. I'm surprised no one called the police."

"She was so scared, mom," he said quietly. "That bastard should be rotting in prison for what he has done, not hanging out at playgrounds scaring my children. I never wanted them to know anything about him. He's poison."

"I know honey," Karen whispered. "I know. Now I have to take Lily home and explain to her that the man she saw in the park today is not only her uncle, but the man who took her father away from us."

Lucas looked up at his mother and kicked himself. "Aw Mom."

He got up and went to kneel down in front of her, taking her hands, which she had been wringing together. Karen had been wronged by that man for most of her adult life. He had taken more from her than anyone.

"I didn't even think."

"Sweetheart, you have just as much right as anyone to be upset. Don't add my stuff on top of yours."

"It's our stuff mom. We're family. I can talk to Lily with you, if you want."

"Thank you boy of mine, but you already have a talk to have. I think you should tell Anna who he is. Right now, he's just a nameless monster to her. Nathan and Haley had to go through the same thing with Jamie when he was Anna's age-"

"And found a picture of Dan. I remember. Nathan told him he was dead. God what a mess. We should just have a giant Scott family meeting in the backyard and sit all the kids down and tell them all at the same time. Have you called Haley and Nate yet?"

"No. We wanted to figure out what to tell them first. Sorry for the panicked call earlier….when I saw Dan talking to Lily it…." she shook her head and sighed heavily.

"We're never going to be rid of him are we," Lucas murmured. Karen pulled him into her arms and sighed once again.

"We have something he doesn't Luke. Each other. We're stronger together than apart. What ever he has up his sleeve, we'll get passed it as a family."

Soft footfalls alerted them to another presence and they parted upon Peyton's arrival into the living room.

"I didn't wake him did I?" Lucas asked, standing. Peyton shook her head, placing the baby monitor on the mantle.

"He woke up when I put him down. He tried to play a little, but he was just too tired to stay awake."

"Jamie wore him out on the slide," Karen said with a small smile. Lucas walked over to his wife's side and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry for yelling, Peyt." Peyton shook her head, waving off his apology.

"You have every right to be pissed Luke. Hell, I'm pissed at how scared he's made Anna. How can a man we haven't seen in six years pop back up and ruin everything so fast?"

They were all silent, the question hanging in the air between them before Deb stormed back into the room.

"He's out on parole," she spat. Lucas lowered his head and Karen stood up angrily.

"Why weren't any of us notified.?"

"A glitch…in the system," Deb replied, obviously livid. "Someone dropped the ball and because of that no one was there to contest his parole. They said we can try to file an appeal. I've already called my lawyer to see what can be done."

"No," Lucas shook his head. "That's not good enough. We have to be able to do something more, he was right there today talking to Lily, close enough to take _any_ of them if he wanted! I am not going sit here let that bastard terrorize my family anymore than he has!"

"Daddy?"

Lucas spun around to find Anna standing at the doorway. He sighed and tried to calm himself down. "What is it baby?"

"I got scared," she said simply with a sad pout. "I tried to be brave Daddy. I really did."

"Come here," he cooed. The little girl ran into his arms and he picked her up. "I know you did. You did so good, baby. You did good."

"Deb, you should probably call Haley and Nathan. Tell them to come over here," Peyton said, rubbing her daughter's back. "We'll all bunker down here for the day, I guess."

Deb nodded, gratefully and went off to make the call.

"Luke, I'm going to go out back and see how the kids are and then start lunch. The kids should be getting hungry right about now."

"Yeah!" Anna popped her head up off her father's shoulder, nodding her head frantically. "I'm hungry for sandwiches!"

"How are you hungry for a specific food, you little nut," Peyton laughed as Karen and Lucas chuckled at the little girl's enthusiasm.

"Cause that's what my belly said Mommy. It wants sandwiches," Anna shrugged as though it was the most natural answer to give.

"Okay, baby bird. Sandwiches it is," Karen smiled.

"I like your sandwiches Gramma,"

"I like making you sandwiches," Karen laughed, walking over to kiss her round cheek. Anna accepted the kiss happily and reached for her grandmother. Lucas transferred her over to Karen with a smile

Anna sighed a small sigh and then looked seriously up at Karen.

"Gramma?"

"Yes, love?"

"Who was that man?"

Lucas, Peyton, and Karen managed a three way glance. They knew the question was coming.

"You looked scared of him too," Anna said, patting Karen's back comfortingly. "I din know growed ups got scared."

"Oh honey," Karen cooed, sitting down with her granddaughter. "Grown ups get scared all the time. And you know what? Its okay to be scared sometimes, but we can't let our fear stop us from doing the things we want to do. Does that make sense?"

The intuitive little blonde thought for a moment and then said, "Yes. But then how come we left the park?"

Lucas knelt down beside them and touched Anna's leg. "Honey, that man was someone gramma didn't want you kids around. Remember how I said it was our job to protect you? She was just trying to keep you guys safe."

"Who was that man?" Anna asked again. Nodding, Lucas picked Anna up. It was time to tell her the truth.

"Come on with Mommy and I and we'll tell you about him."

"But you weren't even there," Anna objected.

"I know. But I know who he is." He turned to his mother and she nodded encouragingly before going towards the back of the house. Holding Anna in one arm, he took Peyton's hand in the other and they walked to the stairs together. As they were about to ascend the stairs the doorbell rang.

Lucas and Peyton looked at one another, both of them wondering if it was somehow Dan on the other side of the door.

"Careful," Lucas warned, as Peyton walked to the door and opened it. She blinked in surprise at who was on the other side of the door.

"Brooke?"

Brooke shook off her own surprise at finding Peyton home. "Hi! Hi Peyton…I came by to see you…obviously and um….I'm sorry muffins?"

She held out the box of blueberry muffins, which happened to be Lucas's favorite, with a smile.

"Um, thank you Brooke, I-Come in," Peyton stepped aside and let Brooke in. "I'm surprised to see you here, Brooke. I thought you'd be with Rachel."

"Oh her lazy ass is still asleep," Brooke scoffed, waving her off.

"Hi Brooke," Anna piped.

"Oh," Brooke exclaimed in embarrassment. "I meant her lazy butt-um-bottom. Hey Luke," she added with a meek smile.

Lucas only nodded at her and turned to Peyton. "We'll be upstairs."

Peyton nodded with a reassuring smile and then sighed. Brooke followed with a sigh of her own. Dammit, Lucas was still pissed at her.

"We're having a bit of a crisis here. Have you seen Nathan and Haley this morning?"

"Briefly for breakfast. Why? What's happening?"

Peyton shook her head and peeped out the window nervously.

"Dan's back."

**Reviews Reviews Reviews!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Story for the delay. I'm actually kind of wrote myself into a wall. I'm still not sure what I'm planning to do with Dan's return yet. With all that is happening on the show I'm annoyed with my own timing. We need something upbeat and leyton love filled, ya know? I wrote Lucas and Peyton into depressionville. **

**:-( Sorry. The hundredth episode was pretty good. Lucas confuses the crap out of me. How does a person live in so much denial for so long? I just don't get him. It sucks that it looks like we won't be getting any leyton for awhile, because Lucas needs to mourn Lindsey or _whatever _he has to do to pull his head out of his own ass. I'm also worried about where Brooke's storyline is going and its involvement with Lucas. If it is what I think it is, Brooke is a selfish dumb bitch and Mark is very very mean if he lets it happen.**

Lucas walked into his and Peyton's bedroom with Anna and set her down on her feet. She made a beeline for the bed and Lucas scooped her up just in time. They hadn't changed the sheets yet and he wasn't about to let Anna roll around in them.

He sat down at the window seat and set his daughter in his lap. How to start? Lucas had known one day Anna would ask who his biological father was, but he figured that would come when she could figure out how to say the word biological and know its meaning. Anna had asked him where his daddy was once and he had replied that "Uncle Keith was up in Heaven with Grandma Anna and Ellie." The answer had satisfied her. He just hoped this wouldn't confuse her too much. 

"You din make your bed, Daddy," Anna admonished, wagging her finger at him. Lucas smiled. 

"It's been a busy morning. Honey, you know how you asked me once where my Daddy was and I said Uncle Keith was in Heaven?"

"Yep. He's Lily's Daddy too."

"Yeah, well when I said that I wasn't telling you the whole truth."

Anna's little mouth dropped open in shock at the prospect of her father not telling her everything having been under the misguided impression that Lucas told her_ everything_.

"Daddy, why? You ask me to tell you everything," Anna pouted.

"You're right, baby girl. It's not fair of me to ask you to be honest with me when I'm not honest with you. But you have to understand sweetheart that a Mommy and Daddy's job before anything else is to protect their children. I was trying to protect you."

"From what Daddy?" 

"Baby, Keith is Lily's Daddy just like I'm your Daddy, but he wasn't really mine. Anna that man at the park was….my father."

"That scary man is your real Daddy?"

Lucas winced. "Yeah. See, when I was growing up, I didn't have my real daddy. When I was in Grandma Karen's tummy my father left us and I don't really understand why. But I had Keith and he was kind of like my dad."

"Where did your real daddy go? Did he get lost?"

"Kind of. You know how Uncle Nathan is my brother? Well he and I share a father. That man at the park is Uncle Nathan's father too. But we didn't grow up together the way you and William get to grow up together."

"Did Uncold Nat'an not have his daddy neither?"

"No, Nathan grew up with him." 

"Then why didn't your daddy come see you?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment, wondering how much of this she would be able to wrap her mind around. She was a smart little girl and she had understood it all up to this point. 

"He…Dan my father's name is Dan. Dan is not a nice man. He hurt a lot of people, Anna."

"Mommy too?"

Lucas thought back to the night in the auditorium when Dan had confronted him about the fire. He had made some hateful comment about Peyton not having a family and pushed her away. It was the first time Lucas's fist connected with his father's face.

"Yeah mommy too." 

"But Daddies aren't sposed to be scary or hurt people or leave their kids! You'd never leave me would you Daddy?"

"Oh baby doll Daddy would never leave you. Not on purpose. Dan wasn't a daddy to me like I'm a daddy to you and Will or the way Uncle Nathan is a daddy to Jamie and Amalia. Some Daddies and even some mommies don't do what they should when it comes to their children."

"Didn't he love you like you love me?"

Lucas felt his eyes burn and blinked quickly. "I don't know if he loved me Anna. I think he is only capable of loving himself. Sometimes, I think he loved us in his own way. But you can never compare whatever love he may or may not feel for me with the love I feel for you. Because I love you so, so much, Anna. And nothing in this world would have kept me from being your daddy. I would never leave the way Dan did or hurt you in any way." 

Anna stared at him for a long moment. She had a way of reading her father as well as her mother and right now her Daddy looked very sad.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Were you sad not havin a daddy? I'd be sad if I din have you an mommy." Anna finished this statement with a slight pout and Lucas felt tears sting his eyes once again as he stared down at his daughter. His beautiful little girl. 

"Sometimes," he replied softly. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled wistfully. "But I had Keith."

"Daddy?"

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you so so much too. I love you this much!" She extended her arms as wide as they would go and grinned at him. Lucas wrapped her little body up tight in his arms and rocked her back and forth. He couldn't imagine his life without his children in it, especially at moments like these.

"Me too," he whispered through a smile.

* * *

"So Lucas is upstairs talking to Anna about Dan," Peyton sighed, pacing back and forth in the kitchen while Brooke sat at the kitchen table, picking at one of the muffins she'd bought.

"Wow," Brooke gasped. "I can't believe the parole board screwed up so bad. Can't you sue them for something like this?"

"What? I don't know. Maybe-Look, the point is I'm worried about what this is going to do to Lucas and Anna is already freaked out and God poor Lily and Karen-My God-"

"Sawyer. Sawyer! Peyton!" Brooke exclaimed, through Peyton's rambling. "Breathe honey. It's going to be okay. If there's one thing the Scotts know how to do it's get through a crisis."

"I'm glad William is too young to know what's going on. He's slept through most of this," Peyton sighed as she finally came to a stop.

"Is Dan the reason you're playing hooky from work today or what?"

Peyton raised an eyebrow and glanced at the "I'm sorry muffins." She shook off the fact that it seemed Brooke thought she wouldn't be home when she dropped by that morning. She also ignored the fact that blueberry muffins were Lucas's favorite.

"No," she said finally taking her eyes off the muffins and resting them on a friend she wasn't sure she trusted again. "Lucas and I were up most of the night so we slept in."

Brooke swallowed her muffin thickly and narrowed her eyebrows slightly, before plastering a smirk on her face. "The dress did its magic, huh?"

"What are you doing here Brooke?"

"I came to apologize for last night Peyton."

"Apologize to me? Or to Lucas?"

"Peyton that's not fair,"

"No Brooke what isn't fair is making your best friend feel like a whore for being married to the love of her life. What isn't fair is making your best friend feel like she doesn't deserve the life she has."

"I know," Brooke said quietly and on some level she did feel like a shit for making Peyton feel bad. "What I said last night was out of line. I was drunk, I mean you know how I get when I'm drunk-"

"You get loose, Brooke," Peyton said, crossing her arms in front of her. "Loose enough to say what's really on your mind."

"Peyton," Brooke sighed. "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not jealous of what you and Lucas have together. I want everything you have now, Peyton. I may be a multi-million dollar name but, you have the perfect guy and the perfect children living in the perfect house. You are living the dream, Peyton. I lost my dream and I lost Chase. That's why I'm moving back home."

Peyton wanted to ask her if Chase wasn't her dream, but kept her mouth shut, once again wanting to give Brooke the benefit of the doubt.

"You're moving back home?"

"Yeah, I mean you got what you want and I figure it's my turn."

"Your life not going the way you wanted it to has nothing to do with me, Brooke," she said quietly. "I want to be here for you but you are making it really hard. Especially when you say things to me like you did last night." 

Brooke pursed her lips. "I'm sorry Peyton."

"I mean, you go on and on about all the plans that you and Lucas had and your four children and Rocket Jr, but you never once asked me about Lucas and my wedding or when I was pregnant with Anna or William. You haven't asked me about my life and my family and all the really important things that a best friend should want to know about if they missed it. And I really wanted you there, Brooke. I needed you there." 

"So this is my fault?"

"Ugh-no," Peyton growled escaping into the family room. Brooke shot up and followed her, abandoning her muffin on the table. 

"Peyton I would have been at that wedding I would have been there when you kids were born, but you didn't exactly reach out to me, either, you know?"

"God," Peyton murmured, sinking down to the couch. She had hoped they would never have to rehash all of this. She had hoped the look of jealousy on Brooke's face had been all in her head. "Do we have to talk about what happened in LA Brooke?"

"I thought you had too much to live for in the present to live in the past?"

Peyton stared at her silently for a long moment and then got up. "You know what I am not going to do this right now with you. There is way too much going on and I don't have the time or the energy to get into it with you if you aren't going to take it seriously. I think you should leave."

"You're kicking me out because I didn't ask you for all the cutesy details of the wedding you didn't even call me about?"

"Would you have come?" Peyton challenged.

"Considering the timing and the fact that we were barely speaking to each other, I gotta say no, but you didn't even have the courtesy to call and ask for my blessing," Brooke said. She'd said it only slightly in jest, but they both knew that she had meant it. Peyton clenched her teeth and turned her head towards Brooke.

Careful not to start screaming, Peyton ground through her teeth, "We didn't _need_ your blessing, Brooke."

"God! I _will not _apologize to you again! Not for the past and NOT for what I have with my husband. I'm sorry your life didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, but that gives you _no_ right to come back and try to _fuck_ up mine!"

"Peyton! How the hell is my being hear fucking up your life?"

"No! I am tired of you acting as though he is a _thing_ you loaned me out of the goodness of your heart and now you want back. He never belonged to you Brooke and he certainly doesn't belong to you now."

"Way to rub your perfect fucking life in my face Peyton while I have nothing, that's fabulous. You don't even care that I'm moving home," Brooke cried. "Funny, it's usually you whining about everything you've lost."

Suddenly a stern voice from the doorway rang out. "Brooke!" 

Brooke turned in shock and mortification to find Lucas standing in the doorway with Anna beside him, a look of barely contained anger on his face. His next two words brooked no argument and were laced with fury that made Brooke want to die. 

"Get out."

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	25. Chapter 25

**Hey all! Thanks for continuing with the great reviews. I'll try to stay on top of updating, but I do have school and it is coming down to the second half of the semester so I have a lot of projects and papers to start writing. Stay patient and thanks again for sticking with me!**

After checking on William briefly, Lucas made his way downstairs, with Anna's little hand tucked in his to find Brooke and Peyton arguing. He heard them before he saw them, cringing when he heard Brooke drop the f-bomb. Anna's mouth dropped open and she gaped up at her father as she hopped along trying to keep up with her father's long strides.

"….Funny, it's usually you whining about everything you've lost."

When he heard this, he had to fight to keep his temper in check, especially when he saw the look of hurt on his wife's face. Anna had heard more than enough curse words that day so instead adding a few choice words, he simply told Brooke to get out through clenched teeth.

He didn't wait for her to say anything, as he made his way to Peyton's side to wrap a protective arm around her waist. Anna was holding onto his leg, staring between the adults in confusion, the words "What a day," floating through her mind.

"Lucas-"

"Now, Brooke!" Lucas all but bellowed, making Anna scurry to her mother's legs. She next to never heard her father raise his voice. "Get. Out. Now."

Brooke's eyes darted to Peyton, who refused to look at her. She had gone too far and had completely messed everything up. There was no softness or forgiveness in Lucas's eyes as they glared at her coldly.

"I'm sorry," she rasped, shocked and appalled at her own blunder. Grabbing her purse, Brooke left quickly.

Once the door shut Lucas turned to Peyton, his eyes going from frigid to tender in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked once the door shut. Peyton nodded quickly, a sure sign she was far from alright.

"Momma, Brooke said a bad word!" Anna stage-whispered, tugging on Peyton's pant leg. The four year old's unnecessary dramatics made a smile tug at Lucas's lips.

"You heard all that?" Peyton asked turning her eyes to Lucas.

"Just the tail-end," he replied, furrowing his brows.

"Mommy!" Anna went back to tugging on Peyton's pants. "Momma, Brooke said a bad-"

"Word," Peyton finished swinging the little girl up into her arms, giving her a squeeze. "I know, baby. That was very naughty of her."

Anna pouted at her mother and began playing with her curls. "You look sad too, Momma," she decided, looking between her parents. Lucas and Peyton exchanged a look, amazed that their daughter could pick up on their mood so well.

"Momma will be fine," Peyton replied. "I have you and Daddy to keep me happy huh?"

"Yeah you do, Momma coz I love you so, so much and so does Daddy and even William," Anna said, putting her head on Peyton's shoulder.

"Yeah Momma, we love you so, so much," Lucas chimed in, pressing a kiss her cheek and temple. He leaned in and kissed her behind her ear. "Stay here," he whispered after a moment.

"Luke where are you going?" She asked turning towards him.

"Grocery store," he replied.

"The grocery store only?" She asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"No."

"Luke, leave it alone," Peyton sighed. "Please? Just leave it."

"Peyton do you remember senior year the morning after Brooke and Nathan's tape came out and I went to see Brooke first? You asked me if I ever stick up for the person I'm with. Well, the answer is yes."

"Luke I appreciate that, but can't you just let it go? I'm sure she didn't mean it."

"Not if she has hurt you Peyt," he replied seriously. "She hurt you. I'll be right back and I'll bring bread so our baby bird can have sandwiches for lunch." He kissed them both and went out the door.

"Daddy is mad," Anna said seriously, looking up at her mother.

"Yes he is," Peyton sighed.

"Did Brooke make you sad?"

Peyton looked down into big green eyes that were her match and smiled gently.

"Yeah she made me a little bit sad, baby."

"Daddy is sad about his real Daddy. He said so."

Peyton tucked her head down to hide the hurt for her husband in her eyes. "I know, baby. We're gonna do what we can to make him feel better right?"

"And you too," Anna added, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and giving her a hug.

"You make me feel better, baby," Peyton cooed. "You and Daddy and Will are Mommy's medicine."

"Like rob-tussen?" Anna asked popping her head up and making a face at her mother.

"That's Robitussin and yes, but much, much, much yummier," Peyton smiled giving her daughter a cuddle and a tickle when the little girl giggled, "Yummier!?"

"Yummier," Peyton confirmed. Anna continued to giggle and Peyton sighed thoughtfully, thinking back to her early morning conversation with Lucas about having another baby, a conversation that seemed unreal considering the craziness of the morning. When Anna came she had not been ready for the overwhelming feelings of love she felt for this tiny person she had created. Anna was nothing short of wondrous to her and to Lucas. She was afraid when she became pregnant with William that she wouldn't be able to love him the same way she loved Anna, her first born, but as soon as she laid eyes on her baby boy she was once again surprised by her heart.

"You know what baby bird?"

Anna reached up to finger one of her mother's curls. "What Mommy?"

"Momma loves you," Peyton whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Me too, Momma!" Anna cried, with an endearing smile.

She also hadn't been prepared to fall even more in love with Lucas. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him anymore than she did, but watching him fall in love with and interact with Anna and William made her fall in love with him all over again. As she sat quietly with her daughter holding onto her, she knew she was ready to bring more love into the house.

"Momma?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Don't leave me kay?" Peyton's mouth fell open and she stared at the seriousness in Anna's eyes.

"Baby, why would you ask me that?"

"Well Daddy's real daddy left him and coz your mommy left to go to heaven, when you were little," Anna sniffed, her bottom lip beginning to tremble a bit. "Don't go to Heaven Momma! I don't want you or daddy to leave me!"

"Oh baby," Peyton cried, gathering her up in her arms. Appalled, her mind tried to recall every talk she had with her daughter and everything she might have said in her presence. Anna knew that Peyton had two mothers and both had gone up to Heaven with her daddy's Uncle Keith. She was appalled with herself that her little girl had a complex about being abandoned already. Maybe Anna was too much like her 16 year old self after all.

* * *

Lucas hopped into his Mustang and backed out of the driveway, then headed towards Haley's house. His eyes scanned the sidewalk from left to right. He wasn't sure which way she went, but figured wherever she was, she was on foot. He honestly didn't know what he was going to say to her when he found her. In fact he wasn't sure that talking to her was such a good idea, considering how angry he was.

Now was not the time to have it out with Brooke, he had other things to worry about, certainly. Haley and Nathan would probably be at the house soon. His family needed him.

He caught sight of her walking past the playground and pulled over with a screech of his tires that made everyone outside look up.

Brooke stopped, recognizing his car and winced as he stepped out of the Mustang and slammed the door with purpose. He marched towards her, his eyes stern and she braved a smile as he stormed up to her.

"Luke-"

"Don't talk," he snapped, coldly. "I thought we had gone through this last night Brooke. I thought you said you weren't here to hurt her. Well she's hurt, Brooke. I can see it and Anna can see it. Now, I don't know who the _hell_ you think you are-"

"Luke! I don't know what got into me! I'm sorry alright?-I-"

"Sorry? God Brooke this morning has been a nightmare with Dan showing up! And you come into our home and treat her like shit! You say that shit to her!? _She whines about everything she's lost_?! Seriously Brooke? Who the fuck do you think you are saying shit like that to her in her house!?"

Brooke shook her head, wiping away the tears that were racing down her cheeks. Lucas had never yelled at her like this before. She hated that he was angry with her and hated that she'd let him down.

"This isn't me Luke," she cried. "This isn't me! You know me!"

Lucas took a deep breath and let himself really look at the brunette in front of him. "I used to know you," he said in a gentler voice. "I used to know a girl who was a loyal friend, an amazing person, I fell in love with that girl, Brooke. Where the hell did that girl go and when did she get replaced with…_you_?"

"I don't know, Luke. But I'll get her back. I swear I'll find her for you."

Lucas's eyebrows furrowed and he shook of the feeling her words brought. He knew she was going through a hard time, but he wasn't going to let this person she'd become continue leeching away his wife's happiness. He wouldn't allow it.

"Don't do it for me Brooke. Not for me or even Peyton or Haley or Nathan. Do it for yourself. I know that girl is still in there somewhere. But until you find her….Don't come near Peyton again. Because if you do you'll hurt her and….I told you not to hurt her. I won't have it."

"It…It hurt you too didn't it?"

Lucas sighed and glanced up at her. "What are you talking about?"

"You've never yelled at me like that before Luke. I know this can't all be about what I said to Peyton."

"You can believe whatever you want Brooke," Lucas murmured in annoyance.

"I Peyton told me you've been up most of the night and now you're saying this morning has been a nightmare, what am I supposed to believe?"

"Dan is out of prison. Did Peyton tell you that before you sunk your claws into her? That's the nightmare I'm talking about Brooke. We found out about Dan after Peyton and I spent most of the night making love."

Brooke swallowed down the feeling of retching at the thought of Lucas and Peyton having sex all night long. She noticed the dark purple bruise on his neck

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," she said in a raspy voice that once drove Lucas wild with lust. Now the only thing that drove Lucas wild with lust was the sight of his wife's long legs in a pair of heels.

"I hurt when she hurts, Brooke. Stay away from her," he said again, turning to walk away. "I mean it."

Brooke watched him walk away and burst into tears. So much for Lucas being unable to resist her, she thought. But then again she hadn't really tried, she thought in the next moment. She shook her head and began walking towards Haley's house, unaware that her and Lucas's exchange had been watched.

**R to the E to the V to the I to the E to the W!**

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey ya'll. Here's yet another chapter that you have all been waiting oh so patiently for. Hope it doesn't disappoint. It's not my favorite chapter. I think I just lost some steam or something.**

**Also if anyone is paying attention I effed up the timeline. Brooke ands Peyton officially stopped speaking at the end of college. I wanna say Lucas proposes less than a year after that. Anna is conceived eight months later. What can I say? I don't do numbers. What's that saying? Those who cannot add, write? ;p**

When Lucas came home with the groceries, it was to find the rest of the Scott clan crowded in his kitchen. Lily and Jamie were watching television in the family room and Amalia was napping in the office.

He barely got through the door, before Haley shot up out of her seat and ran over to embrace him.

"Oh God Luke we just got here," she said, taking some of the bags from him and setting them on the counter.

"Mom and Karen were just filling us in," Nathan said gravely from the table. "My lawyer says an appeal can take weeks or even months," Deb said from her place at the breakfast table.

Lucas clenched his teeth and nodded, tersely, his rigidness melting away when he felt a tug on his pants and a cooed, "dada dadadadada."

He set the rest of the groceries down and scooped up his boy, who had been crawling around the floor with a stuffed dog he had lovingly named Bo-bo. "Hey my sweet boy," he cooed, kissing his cheeks and smiling when the baby pat his face in greeting.

Karen smiled at the two wondering what was going through her son's head as she began putting the groceries away.

"Ma, you don't have to do that," Lucas said, looking up at her admonishingly.

"I don't mind at all sweetie. I'm gonna start lunch too, the kids are famished."

"I'll help you Karen," Haley said, tickling William's neck, making the baby squeal with laughter and burrow into his father's embrace. Lucas nodded and murmured his thanks, feeling distracted, like his mind was pulling him in three directions at once.

"Where's Peyton?"

"Upstairs napping with Anna," Karen replied. "The poor little thing was falling asleep in Peyton's lap and Peyton wasn't doing much better staying awake."

"Way to go champ," Nathan couldn't help smirking, earning himself a slap from both Haley and Deb.

Lucas barely lifted a corner of his mouth and he rolled his eyes at his little brother. "I'm gonna go check on Peyton," he said, handing William to Nathan.

"Come'ere big guy," Nathan cooed, tossing the baby lightly in the air much to his delight.

"Oh Luke, by the way," Haley called, stopping him. She ignored the look Nathan was throwing her to keep her mouth shut. "I tried Brooke at the house and she wasn't there. Was Brooke here earlier by any chance? I know she wanted to come by and smooth things over with Pey-" she stopped at Lucas's scoff and continued. "Um-Peyton. I know there was some tension last night between them."

Lucas pursed his lips and nodded shortly. "She was here. And I don't wanna get into it."

He left the kitchen and Haley exchanged a look with Karen and Nathan. "Ohhhkay, why do I get the feeling more drama happened today and it has nothing to do with Dan," Haley sighed.

"You know it's funny," Nathan said looking around at the women in the kitchen. "Lucas was saying last night that he felt something bad coming. Like everything in our lives have been going so well and he just felt like something was gonna come along and ruin it all. I guess he was right to rain on his own parade."

"So what are we gonna do about Dan?" Deb asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing," Karen said, as she cut the crusts of the bread for William and Amalia.

"What?" Deb stared at Karen incredulously. "We are talking about the same Dan here right?"

"Right. We can't put him back in Deb, no matter how much we would like too. Trust me, I wish to God they had thrown away the key. What action are we supposed to take Deb?" Karen spread her arms and shrugged.

Deb was at a loss and Karen continued. "I know it's like a stab in the back to have him free, but…Anna is spooked and so are Lily and Jamie. If we act like something is wrong they will keep being afraid. He has done all he can do to hurt us, Deb. He doesn't have anymore power than we give him. We can't put him back in so-"

"We deal with it," Haley finished. "And keep on living our lives. We just keep an eye on our kids."

"You think we can do that, Nathan?" Karen asked, looking at her son's brother.

"We have to, right?" Nathan shrugged his shoulders, breaking off a piece of blueberry muffin and popping it in William's waiting mouth. "And Lucas will be able to do it too, because he'd do anything for his kids. It doesn't mean it's gonna be easy though," he added in a mumble. "I haven't seen him this worked up in a really long time."

"He'll be fine Nate," Karen said, setting a plate down in front of Nathan for William. She added wistfully, "He has Peyton to look after him."

Everyone in the kitchen remained quiet, knowing the older woman was thinking about Keith and how she wished she had him the way her son had Peyton.

* * *

Lucas found Peyton in Anna's room. His heart ached at the sight upon the bed. His two angels were both asleep. Peyton had managed to cram her tall frame into Anna's bed, and she was curled protectively around Anna. The little girl in turn was cuddled into her mother's chest.

He walked in further and knelt down beside them, smoothing Anna's hair back and then Peyton's causing the woman to stir.

"Luke," Peyton murmured sleepily.

"Hey baby," he replied in a whisper.

"Did you just get back?"

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, running a thumb over her cheek. His brows lowered. "Have you been crying?"

She put a finger to her lips and sat up carefully. She climbed out of the bed, stifling a groan as she stretched her back.

"Careful grandma," he murmured, earning himself a slap in the arm and a growled, "Watch it mister."

They shut the door and Lucas took her hand. "Why were you crying? Is it what Brooke said?"

Peyton let out an unladylike snort as they walked into their bedroom. "No. God. Compared with what Anna hit me with, what Brooke said was like a freaking love poem," she replied, her lip beginning to quiver all over again.

"Hey, hey baby. Come here." Lucas wrapped her up in his arms and held on tight. "What did Anna say?"

"She's scared,"

"Of Dan still?"

"No, of losing us. She knows my moms are dead and that Keith is dead and she knows that Dan left you.."

"She's afraid of being abandoned," he sighed, putting all the pieces together. Peyton nodded into his shoulder, breaking down once again.

"God Luke you should have seen her. Begging me not to leave her like my moms did and I couldn't bring myself to say everything would be okay because I don't know how long I'm going to be here. What if I die, Luke and I end up leaving her and William. She'll not only grow up without me, but she'll hate me for breaking my promise. Is that selfish that I don't want to lie to her about it? I mean am I supposed to lie to her? I mean she is only four and she's already worried about losing us. She already has so much weight on her little shoulders Luke."

"Shhhhh, I know. I know," Lucas whispered, rocking her back and forth much the way he would if he were comforting Anna or William. "We'll talk to her together."

"What do we say to her, Luke?"

"We tell her the truth, Peyt. No more secrets and no more lies, not for this generation, not for us."

Peyton smiled and nodded against him, sighing contentedly as he dropped kisses in her hair. After a moment she looked up at him and narrowed her eyes.

"How was the grocery store?"

"Peyton, lets not get into it please," he sighed, letting her go to put some distance between them. Peyton threw her hands on her hips.

"Did you yell at her?"

"Hey when did you have time to change the sheets?" He asked, in a lame attempt to change the subject.

"Lucas Scott," Peyton cried, throwing her hands in the air.

"Why are you defending her all of a sudden Peyton?" Lucas exclaimed, spinning around to pin her with an incredulous stare, before lowering his voice.

"You've been defending her since we found out she was coming back!"

"Not any more than you Peyton. We were all giving her the benefit of the doubt and trying to be friends for her during a rough patch. I wanted her back in our lives for your sake Peyton because I know you missed you friend. She messed up though Peyt. She was a complete bitch to you! What she said to you was way out of line!"

"I know that Luke! If I was still in high school I probably would have laid her out, but I'm a mom now. I can't go around bitch slapping everyone who mouths off to me."

A smile ghosted across Lucas's face. "I know Peyt, but I couldn't let her get away with what she said to you. It hurt you and I could tell," he said quietly with a shrug.

Peyton shook her head and couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Asking Lucas not to save her was like asking a zebra to lose the stripes. He couldn't do it.

"My hero," she joked, lifting a corner of her mouth in a half smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"You didn't yell at her did you?"

"I did lose my temper," he admitted, placing his hands low on her hips. He took a deep breath before speaking again, because he knew she was going to be pissed at what he'd done.

"I also told her to stay away from you," he added quickly before holding his breath. Peyton's mouth fell open and she shoved his hands off of her.

"You _what_?!"

"Peyton-"

"Lucas," she cried, walking over to the door of their bedroom and shutting it. "You had _no_ right to do that!"

"I'm your husband!"

Peyton scoffed. "And that means you're allowed to dictate who I do and do not speak to?"

"No!" He yelled. "It means I will not stand back and watch while someone hurts you!"

He said it with so much conviction, Peyton felt some of her anger dissipate.

"She hasn't been here for you in over six years and she comes back and what does she do. She treats you like shit, she makes you feel like shit for what we have together. Don't deny it, Peyton," he cried, as she opened her mouth to argue. He looked at her sadly.

"You know its true."

"Luke-"

"She makes you feel like what we have isn't right. I don't want you to ever feel that way Peyton. Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to know that you feel guilty for being with me?"

"Lucas I don't-"

"But you do!" He lowered his voice as Peyton's mouth dropped open. "You do, Peyt. And that hurts me more than you can ever know."

"Luke," Peyton cried, running into his arms. She held onto him tightly. "No. No you've got it all wrong!"

"Have I?" He challenged, quietly. Peyton pulled back so he could see her face.

"She tried to make me feel like I stole her life or something…and for a very short while, maybe I felt like I had, but-Look at me Luke. Please look at me."

She pressed a hand to his cheek and made sure he was looking right at her. "I felt it for a second Luke. It was all old feelings and old guilt. I don't feel that way anymore. There were several roads to take and we both took this one. And I wouldn't trade it for anything or anyone in this whole world," Peyton whispered, as a tear fell down her cheek. Lucas reached up and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"You need to know, Peyton that you were never a mistake," Lucas said solemnly.

"What?"

"That box. The Peyton box in the attic that Brooke and I fought about all those years ago, I kept those things, because they were precious to me, not nearly as precious as the women associated to them, but-That's why I kept them. Not because you were a mistake. We may have miss-stepped and hurt her in the process, but you were never a mistake. And if you ever doubt it, you look at the two little miracles we made together and think about the new miracle we're going to make."

In a second her lips crashed into his and it took less than a second for him to respond, slanting his mouth over hers, moaning lightly when she sucked his lower lip into her mouth.

Pulling away Peyton rested her head against his and exhaled loudly

"Why did you tell me that Luke?"

"Because, it was something I never told you and I should have laid that to rest a very long time ago," he replied. "Because you need to know without a doubt that it's you, Peyton. Now, always, and forever."

"I never for one second questioned what you and I have, Luke. I never have and I never will."

"But you felt guilty."

"For a little bit, yes," Peyton nodded.

"You didn't steal her life Peyton. I wouldn't want any of this if it isn't with you." He cupped her face with both his hands and looked steadily into her eyes. "_You_, Peyton."

"I love you," Peyton whispered. They shared another tender kiss as Lucas led her to their bed. They climbed in, reclining in each other's arms, taking comfort in each other's presence. Lucas and Peyton had had their share of fights, some yelling matches some, not. Every argument they got past in their relatively short married life was a small hurdle they always crossed with a sigh of relief on the other side.

Lucas stroked Peyton's back, wondering if they were finished or if they had more to discuss. He wasn't sorry about confronting Brooke. He saw her as a threat to his wife's happiness and therefore a threat to his family so he handled it. But knowing his wife the way he did, he knew she did not see it quite his way.

"Was I wrong?" He asked, with furrowed brows, turning to look down at his wife. "Was I wrong in wanting to protect you? Us? She hurt you Peyt and I know that had to hurt even more because you wanted your friend back."

Biting her lip, Peyton bowed her head and nodded. "I know you were just trying to look out for me Lucas, but I can look after myself. I just really wish you hadn't done that. You have to know all that stuff is between me and Brooke, Luke. I understand why you did it and I love you for it," she whispered putting a hand on his cheek.

"But I would really have appreciated it if you would have let me handle it my own way. That fight Brooke and I had was seven years overdue."

"You're right, Peyt. And I am sorry, I just- When you hurt, I feel it too, you know?"

Peyton nodded, in understanding. The first time Anna fell down and skinned her knee and had come to them bawling, it had taken everything in her not to start bawling right along with her. She felt the pain of her husband and children keenly. Just as she knew Lucas was hurting right now because of Dan, more than he cared to admit.

"Yeah…..Do you think she'll stay away?"

Lucas looked at her and gently replied. "I don't know. She said she was going to try and find that Brooke we used to know."

"I hope she finds her," Peyton whispered, shakily. Lucas tightened his hold on her, leaning down to drop loving kisses on her forehead.

"Me too," he replied.

"I love you," she whispered, sleepily.

"Are we okay?" he asked. Peyton tilted her head up to look at him.

"I love you," she said again.

"I love you back," he smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looking down into her face. "More than you'll ever know."

"Can we just stay here for a little bit?"

"My plan is to stay here forever with you," he whispered back, shutting his eyes as she snuggled into his chest. They both fell into a light doze, their activities from the night before and the craziness of the morning catching up with them.

After a few moment the door to their bedroom creaked open and little feet scurried across the carpet.

Lucas awoke with a gasp and then smiled. He helped Anna up onto the bed and lay back down wordlessly as the little girl tucked herself between her parents. Peyton wrapped her arms around her and Lucas in turn wrapped his protectively and lovingly around his two girls.

**Reviews? In the midnight hour I cried "MORE MORE MORE!"**


	27. Chapter 27

**Um, wow. Two updates in two days. This never happens. Could be the writing gods. I happen to think it was the great reviews! Thank you to everyone who leaves me such enthusiastic kind words. You make this all so much more fulfilling. Consider this your reward! ;-) **

Karen knocked lightly on her son and his wife's bedroom door and popped her head inside, finding the three blonds wrapped up together on the bed, the two young parents sandwiching their tiny daughter. She smiled softly at the thankfully rated G scene on the bed and wished she had a camera with her to snap the precious family moment.

"Mama, Dada," William pointed his little finger at his family and scrambled to get down.

"Mom?" Lucas asked sleepily.

"Sorry for waking you, sweetheart," Karen whispered, minding Peyton and Anna sleeping beside him. "This guy needed his diaper changed and I just wanted to let you know lunch was ready."

"How long have we been asleep?" He asked looking backwards at the clock and then smiling at the head of blonde curls that toddled back and forth trying to figure out how to get up on the bed.

"About an hour," Karen replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I think William missed you," she laughed as the baby whined to get up on the bed. She picked him up and handed him over to Lucas.

He set the baby in his lap and sat back, hugging him close to his chest, with a contented sigh and buried his nose in the child's curly locks. His hair smelled sweet, like baby powder and graham crackers. He didn't understand how children at a certain young age always smelled so sweet; so much like innocence.

Lucas opened his eyes and found his mother staring at him, wistfully.

"Mom? You okay?"

She smiled and nodded, turning her face towards the open French door briefly as a breeze flew through the room. _You did good with our boy_. The thought flew through her mind and she swore she heard Keith say it. She could almost swear he was in the room with them. She turned her gaze back to her son and the family he had made

and felt herself grow warm with a happiness she hadn't felt all day.

"I'm proud of you my boy," she said, quietly and her quick blue eyes peered down to find Peyton's eyes open as well. "I'm proud of you both."

Peyton smiled and Lucas reached out took his mother's hand.

"Thank you, Mom."

With a squeeze of his hand she stood up with a light groan. "When you all are ready, lunch is downstairs. Don't let Anna nap too long or she'll keep you two up all night," she warned unnecessarily over her shoulder.

"Thanks Karen," Peyton smiled, her thanks for more than making lunch for the whole Scott clan.

During her first pregnancy, Peyton went through a hard time for awhile. Her hormones were through the roof and one day it just hit her like a sledgehammer that she was going to be a mother and at that moment she wanted nothing more in the world than to have Anna Sawyer there to tell her she was going to do fine. She had lashed out at Lucas because he was there and ended up storming out of the house. Worried, Lucas had called Karen and sent her to the place he knew she would be.

When Karen found the young woman, she was kneeling on her mother's grave, holding her pregnant belly, crying. Karen had simply knelt down next to her and held her as Peyton cried on her shoulder.

"I want my mom," Peyton had whimpered.

"I know you do, sweetie," Karen had whispered back. "I know you do."

After a few sage words from Karen, Peyton had realized how lucky she was to have a mother figure in her mother in law. Lucas had not been so lucky having his father figure stolen from him in high school. They were both afraid of the same thing, Peyton of becoming a mother having grown up without one and Lucas becoming a father having grown up without one as well. Both their fears had been unwarranted.

When the door shut lightly Peyton and Lucas looked at each other and grinned, before nestling back into bed with their family.

"Willy!" a small voice piped up from between them. Lucas laughed as Anna threw her arms around the baby's middle and hugged him. The baby giggled and toppled forward onto his sister with Lucas's protective hands keeping him steady.

"Are we calling him Willy now?" Peyton asked her daughter, amused.

"No, just me," Anna replied offhandedly, sticking her face right up against William's face. The baby's laughter pierced the room and Anna threw herself back into her mother's chest, laughing. "He broke my ears Mommy," she giggled.

"He kinda broke my ears too," Peyton laughed looking up at Lucas as they laughed at their children's silliness. He winked at her and she sent him his smile, the one that was only for him.

William sat up with Lucas's help and clapped happily, then looked back at his prostrate family with suspicion. His little mind decided this looked an awful look like a nap, the one thing in the world he hated more than strained carrots. The scrunched up look on the cherubic face was so priceless that Peyton and Lucas burst into laughter at him. Anna joined in for the fun of it, unsure of what they were laughing about.

William smiled at them and just to make things clear huffed, "No na'."

"He can't let us know when he's pooped and he can barely say his own name, but he will let you know his political opinion on naps," Lucas chuckled.

"No! No na'!" William glared at Lucas.

"You said POOP," Anna squealed with laughter. Lucas rolled his eyes and Peyton laughed.

"You did say it," she smiled. Lucas narrowed his eyes playfully at her as William chanted "no na'" beside him.

"We should get him a picket sign," Peyton said, offhandedly as Anna tapped her and then Lucas on their shoulders and grinned at them happily. "Know what?"

"Chicken butt," Peyton replied, with her southern twang that Lucas adored. Anna burst into more infectious giggles at her parent's continued silliness.

"No Mommy," she laughed.

"Well what is it," Peyton smiled, with a chuckle.

"I wish we could stay here forever," she cried, shyly, looking back and forth between her parents. Lucas and Peyton looked up at each other, both of them choking up a bit.

"Oh we wish that too, baby girl," Peyton said, hugging her daughter tight. William, not wanting to be left out- even if it meant taking a nap- pulled on Peyton's finger for attention. Peyton scooped the little boy up and maneuvered them both so they were laying on her chest. Lucas looked on, with misty eyes at his family.

He scooted closer to them and wrapped an arm over them as he sat up to lean on one arm.

"You know Mommy and I love you so much right?"

"Yes, Daddy," Anna replied. "You say so."

"Sweetheart do you know what certain means?"

The little girl shook her head no. He tried to figure out a way to explain the word to a four year old. Anna was incredibly smart for her age and tiny stature, but he still wished he didn't have to have the death conversation with her.

"It means something that we know and something that…we can count on."

"I don' get it, Daddy," she shrugged.

"It's okay. Um…"

"Here's an example," Peyton jumped in. "I am certain that there are sandwiches downstairs waiting for you."

"I like sandwiches!" Anna cried, popping up to a sitting position.

"I know you do," Peyton chuckled. "But do you understand what certain means now? It's knowing something will happen. Or knowing something is true. Like, I am certain that daddy and I will always be together."

Lucas smiled at her example, smiling even bigger as her eyes flicked up to his momentarily before resting back on their daughter.

"Do you understand it now?"

"Uh huh," Anna nodded. "I wanna be wiff you an Daddy always too," Anna pouted, picking at her father's shirt, a habit she picked up from her mother.

"And you know what? You will be," Peyton said.

"But….but what if you guys go to Heaven?"

"Then we will still be with you, baby girl," Lucas replied. He pointed to her chest. "Right there in your heart. When people go away, a part of them still stays inside of you. I know Keith is still with me. Peyton's mommies are still with her. You know why I know that?"

"Coz you know everything?" The little girl offered, seriously.

Peyton snorted and Lucas chuckled. "No, baby girl. I don't know everything. It's

because they love us and we love them. Love never goes away, sweetie, even if sometimes people do."

"I like it better when you're really here 'dough," Anna shrugged, with another pout.

"We like that better too," Lucas smiled, speaking for himself and Peyton. "But you know what is certain?"

"Sandwiches?"

"That," Lucas laughed. "And that Mommy and I will do whatever is in our power to stay here with you. What is also certain is that we love you always no matter what happens."

Anna smiled, secure in knowing when her Daddy said he'd try to do something he would do it and looked at her mother for more confirmation. "Daddy and I aren't ready for Heaven yet, baby. We plan to watch you and William grow up and go to school and get married and have babies of your own."

"But that won't happen for a long long long long looooooong time," Lucas cut in.

"Okay?" Peyton smiled, looking at her daughter.

"Kay," Anna echoed, with a satisfied grin. "Now I'm ready for my sandwiches."

Chuckling, Lucas sat up. "Okay baby bird. Lets go feed your face."

He climbed off the bed and set Anna down on the ground. Turning around he smiled, softly. William was fast asleep.

"I think we bored him," Peyton smirked. He helped her up off the bed as she cradled her son in one arm.

"You sure you don't wanna nap a bit more?" He asked.

"Naw, I'm fine. Besides, he's not gonna sleep for very long. Take our girl downstairs and feed her. I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay," he replied. She tilted her head up and he leaned down to meet her kiss, burying his hand in her hair and deepening it for a moment. A kiss full of promise…and love.

The family trooped out of the bedroom, Anna skipping along side Lucas with her hand tucked into his. Peyton and William made a beeline for his nursery while father and daughter walked to the steps.

As Peyton lay her sleeping baby down, she laughed to herself as she heard her overly loud and overly sweet daughter ask, suspiciously,

"Daddy? Do you _really_ not know everything?"

* * *

Marvin MacFadden had become quite the chef since he moved out to the west coast. He'd found women loved a man who could cook, especially LA women who were too busy taking pilates to learn how to cook.

After he dropped two pineapple wedges on the grill for brunch and Rachel had squealed in delight, he'd found East coast girls loved a chef too. He and Rachel had spent most of the night catching up, a lot of it arguing about her dead-end relationship with the married wall street broker. When she finally closed the subject they lay down together and Rachel snuggled up to his side, sighing "Why couldn't I have found a nice guy like you Mouth?"

Obviously nothing happened. Mouth wanted to say nice guys didn't get the girl, but Lucas had proven him wrong. Mouth scoffed to himself. Then again if he looked like Lucas he'd have a line of women fighting each other and stabbing each other in the back to get to him.

Mouth envied Lucas, not his looks or even his success, but for finally finding happiness. Everyone was searching. It was everyone's main destination in life, but Lucas and Nathan Scott actually found it. And he knew it was only the kind of happiness one could get with a loving life partner by their side and children to look up to them. Mouth had a good life in LA, but truth be told, he was ready to settle down like the rest of his childhood friends.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts and he hopped off his stool and went to the door.

"Is Rachel awake yet?"

"Um, hello to you too, Brooke," Mouth replied with a raised eyebrow, as Brooke swooped past him, much like she did in her early days of high school where if she didn't know you, you were just in the way.

"Sorry Mouth," she said sincerely, turning to hug the young man. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Kinda hung over, but I'll live. How are you doing? You hungry? I have leftover waffle mix." He asked seriously, taking in the brunette's pallid face and red rimmed eyes.

"No I can't really stomach anything right now," she said with a sigh. She heard the shower running and sat down on the couch heavily.

"Rachel is taking a shower, but nothing happened," Mouth explained unnecessarily. Brooke could only muster a wane smirk.

Mouth sat down on the arm of the couch. "Brooke are you okay?"

Brooke's lower lip quivered and she shook her head quickly. "Not really," she rasped, as tears pushed through her eyes.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Lucas and Peyton does it?" He asked gently, scooting over next to her.

"I went over there this morning and completely screwed things up Mouth. I mean I said things that I could barely get away with if I were drunk but I wasn't drunk."

She paused, the idea of dulling her pain sounded appealing. "Got any hard liqueur?"

"Sorry," Mouth shook his head. "So, you fought with Peyton?"

"Yeah. I guess it was six years coming. This person that I am right now, Mouth. It's not me. I swear it's not me."

"I know Brooke. You're going through a tough time-"

"Lucas doesn't know. Mouth, he hates me."

"I'm sure he doesn't Brooke," Mouth reassured, wondering why it was Lucas and not Peyton Brooke was worried about. "He understands that you're going through a rough time. They both do."

"No she doesn't Mouth," Brooke scoffed. "All she can worry about is how I haven't asked for details about her perfect little life with _our_ perfect guy!"

Mouth's mouth fell open, not believing his ears. Was he hearing her right? If he was, she surely wasn't the Brooke he remembered.

"Now look what you've done," Rachel said from the doorway. "You killed Mouth with your crazy husband stealing ramblings."

"Husband stealing?" Mouth managed to stumble out. He looked from Brooke to Rachel. "You two need to get out of New York City immediately."

"Actually Mouth, I'm trying to get her back to the Big rotten apple. My temptation may be there, but Brookie's is here."

"Brooke," Mouth gasped looking back at the brunette. "Are you-still in love with Lucas?"

"Stop looking at me like that Mouth. You said once that Luke and I had the same heart and that we were meant for each other."

"I also lost my virginity to a clean teen," Mouth said, air quoting clean teen. "Fell in love with her, got my heart broken by her, left town and got myself arrested and stranded in Honey Grove Texas all in the span of a week."

"Sorry again for that," Rachel added quickly.

"What are you saying what Lucas and I had wasn't true love?" Brooke demanded.

"It was love Brooke," Mouth amended. "But not the kind of love you and I are looking for. It wasn't forever love. It wasn't the kind of love you write a whole book about."

Brooke shook her head and looked away, holding onto the tears that choked her throat. Rachel sat down on the other side of her and took her hand, her eyes softening.

"Brooke, you left New York to get over a breakup only to realize you haven't gotten over Lucas. You have to treat this like a breakup and put some serious distance between you and him."

"I am inclined to agree," Mouth said on Brooke's other side.

"He was the first boy," she began to whimper. "-the first person who ever loved me for who I was. My parents don't even love me like that."

"Well first of all, Victoria is a particularly heinous strain of bitch, who shouldn't even by allowed to have the word mother in her resume," Rachel spat, of the waspish shrew Brooke had highbred to help run her company.

"Secondly, didn't Peyton love you for who you were first?" Rachel asked and Brooke looked up and felt herself break a little bit more. Nodding, imperceptibly she sniffled and then sighed the sigh of a woman who had finally come to a major decision.

**Warriors walk alone. Writers do too, but we still appreciate reviews. :0)**


	28. Chapter 28

Hi guys,

Sorry about the lack of updates. I have been busy outside of my apartment for the last few weeks. I have several papers I need to write as I get closer to the end of the semester and exams to study for and friends and family I have been neglacting in my busy schedule.

This is my attempt to make you all understand where I'm coming from, but it may read a bit like a rant, because a lot of it is a rant.

I understand your need for a happy leyton fix, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to write about these two characters that suck in every way possible. After last night's episode, which I could barely finish watching, I've decided I'm no longer watching that show at all. I'm beyond annoyed at Mark Schwan and just thinking about it pisses me off to a degree that makes me know I need to take a few big steps back.

Mark Schwan is indeed Lucas Scott. He makes us Leyton fans think we are the one and then suddenly he dumps us like a bad habit and scribbles away a love story he barely gave a fair shot in one lame scene. Seriously? Maybe it's just the idea of being in love with him? Fuck you Haley and fuck you Marck Schwan. Haley has become a character I greatly dislike. She is clearly a shitty friend and a selfish person. Shitty to Peyton. Shitty to Lindsey. Shitty to Lucas for telling him he shouldn't marry someone when she seems to believe they actually love eachother, but then a few episodes later questions Peyton's feelings for Lucas?

And Brooke. Her reasons for wanting to be a mother, if she is honest with herself are purely selfish, because she obviously has no clue about taking care of a child and seemed to think having a baby would be the easiest thing ever and "Look how cute I look with this baby. Hey Lucas you wanna help me take care of her?" She _is_ so Angelina Jolie, because I'm pretty sure Brad bonding with Maddox helped woo him over to Angelina's clutches. Plus, who watches their best friend fall apart over a guy and then goes over to said guy's house in the middle of the night? I don't care that the baby was crying. That child was a responsibility she claimed you could handle along with her work. So _handle_ it.

I'm just confused by the first few episodes of the season we were led to believe Lucas was not completely over Peyton. That Lucas and Peyton were "true love." That Lucas and Peyton belong together and that's how it's supposed to be-Brooke's words. Yet now, we see Mark Schwann doing hwat he does best and erasing history so he can rewrite a new one. It was Haley and Peyton's conversation that pissed me off and made me wipe my hands of this show.

Like Lucas, Mark's words mean nothing. I just feel like I've been strung along for years and my time has been totally wasted and I really fucking hate that. It seems like Mark has finally chosen a side and from what I've seen and the way he has written Peyton's character this season, that side is not team leyton. Fuck that. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not wasting anymore of my time this season or next season to see if I am. I am 26 years old and although writing is my career and favorite pasttime I cannot live out the rest of my twenties behind a computer screen and living out a romance vicariously through a made up character.

I am _so_ over One Tree Hill, but this is not to say I won't continue writing Bliss and Journey at some point. Because once I tell myself they are just characters and writing them in a different way is just the same as watching it on screen I may continue onward. But for now, OTH and I are on a break. It has taken up too much of my life already and I am way too mad to give it anymore time at this point. I thank everyone who has encouraged me throughout my writing process and I understand how bummed some of you may be. I hope to be back to fix Mark's mess some time soon.

Best Wishes,

Lexlady


	29. Chapter 29

**Okay. I've taken a few deep breaths and I'm not makin' any promises, but I am continuing on with my stories. Not as frequently as some of you would like, but I will be moving forward. Thanks to all the understanding responses to my previous rant. I'm continuing for you all.**

"God, what a day," Haley huffed as the dark haired Scott family entered their house, Jamie walking in after his mother, followed by Deb carrying Amalia and then Nathan.

"Tell me about it," Nathan mumbled sinking onto the couch, while the kids ran upstairs. "What I don't understand is how the parole board could have messed up that bad and there isn't anything we can do about it expect file a stupid appeal," he grumbled.

He had gotten the call from Haley on his way home from the high school. Coach Turner had offered him a coaching position at the high school that he was seriously considering taking. He wanted to run it past Lucas to see if he might considered being an assistant coach but after hearing about Dan he hadn't even mentioned the job opportunity to Haley. As soon as he had pulled into the drive way she had hopped into the passenger's side and they'd driven to Lucas and Peyton's.

"I can't believe he showed up at the park," Haley muttered, shaking off the creepy feeling she got and then gasped.

"What?"

"He was at Tric last night," she cried. Nathan raised his eyebrows at her.

"Are you sure, Hales?"

"Yes, I actually physically ran into him and I remember because he was wearing a baseball cap and had a creepy beard. Exactly the way Deb described him looking at the park."

"So…he has been-"

"Following us," Haley finished. She sat back and groaned. "Fantastic."

Deb put a calming hand up and said, "Lets not get too crazy-"

"This coming from the woman who tried to set him on fire," Nathan rolled his eyes at his mother.

"Shut up," Deb huffed, smirking a bit, despite the subject matter. "As creepy as it sounds, we know he's been around. He knew we'd be at the park. Lucas takes Anna and William there at the same time everyday. We're just aware now that he's out there and in a way I guess that's better. He can only take us by surprise once."

"Oh God this is a nightmare," Haley sighed, leaning her head on Nathan's shoulder.

"I won't argue with you about that," Deb nodded. "But, this is the reality of the situation."

"Mom, you can stay here tonight if you like," Nathan said.

"Oh honey, thank you for the offer, but Karen was right. We can't change our lives around for him. If we do, he wins."

"Okay lemme rephrase that," Nathan sighed. "Mom, you're staying here tonight. I know what Karen said, but if its all the same to you, I'd rather you not be alone with him out there. You plus him equals attempted murder. It would be nice to keep at least one of Jamie and Amalia's grandparents around for awhile longer."

Deb rolled her eyes and smiled at her son. "Only because spending time with my grandchildren is time well spent," she said, getting up. "I'm going upstairs to see what Amalia is into."

"She's right you know?" Haley said. "Deb and Karen. It's just like waiting for a bomb to drop though. It's probably just a matter of time before he shows up on one of our doorsteps."

Nathan twined his fingers with Haley's and nodded. "Yeah. Probably."

"What'll you do?" Haley asked, looking up at him.

"I don't know, Hales," he shrugged, quietly. "He's my dad who murdered my uncle. His brother. He didn't just take Uncle Keith away from me and Lucas and Karen and God Lily, but he also took my dad away,"

"Sweetie," Haley sighed.

"You only get one dad. He couldn't do it for Lucas. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he couldn't do it for me," Nathan finished sadly.

"Oh baby," Haley whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Honey, it'll be okay. We're all gonna get through this."

"It's just amazing how one man can just-suck away happiness. You know I got offered a job at Tree Hill High today? Whitey's old job as coach."

Haley's mouth dropped open and she stared at him. "Nathan that's amazing," she laughed, hugging him. "You wouldn't have to drive so far everyday to the University. Shorter days and I know the kids would love having you around more often."

"I know. And I wanted to talk it over with Lucas too, because I'd like him to consider being an assistant coach. Between the two of us, the Ravens would be unstoppable. Now this. Dan's like a vacuum. That's what he is. He is a vacuum for happiness. And here comes the rain," he sighs, thinking back on his conversation with Lucas the night before.

"Hey Dad," Haley and Nathan looked up to find Jamie standing in front of them.

"What's up bud?"

"You wanna shoot around?" Haley grinned and looked at a beaming Nathan. She knew he'd be thrilled. He still dreamed that Jamie came to him with a basketball in his hand and said, "Dad, I wanna be a baller."

"I would love that, kiddo." He turned to Haley and raised his eyebrows and she laughed indulgently.

"Go play basketball with your soccer loving son," she said.

"Thanks, babe," he replied, leaning in to kiss her before getting up.

"Nate," Haley called. He turned around. "You're gonna do great. I'm proud of you."

Smiling, Nathan winked at her before going out back with Jamie. Haley chuckled a little bit before letting out a long sigh. She was about to stand when the front door opened and shut.

"Brooke?" She called out. The brunette appeared in the doorway looking tired and a bit beaten down.

"Hey tutor mom," she greeted, walking into the room and dropping down beside Haley.

"God, you look the way most of us feel."

"Thank you," Brooke rolled her eyes at her and Haley laughed.

"Sorry. Where have you been all day, anyway? Luke said you were by their house earlier."

"Yeah. Did he tell you anything else?"

"Well, no, but we were all sort of distracted. Dan is out on parole. He showed up at the park while Karen, Deb, and the kids were there."

"Yeah, I know. Peyton told me this morning. Look, um- I have to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it Brooke?"

"I'm gonna head back to New York with Rachel for awhile."

"What? Why," Haley demanded.

"Remember at the barbeque when I saw Lucas for the first time and you asked me if it was going to be a problem?"

"Yeah," Haley said slowly, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's going to be a problem."

Haley groaned. "Oh geez, Brooke."

She wasn't sure if she should be relieved that Brooke finally admitted it or not. She new the past few days had to be terrible for the brunette ex-girlfriend of her best friend. Lucas and Peyton were affectionate and very obviously in love. At times they did have a tendency to block everything else out when they were looking at each other.

"I suspected as much," Haley admitted, looking at her friend sympathetically.

"It isn't obvious is it?" Brooke asked in a panic.

"Brooke you always managed to find a way to not be in the same place as both Lucas and Peyton. You weren't very subtle."

"Yeah, well it's kind of hard to watch when he practically mounts her in front of everyone," Brooke grumbled making Haley turn pink and chuckle a bit.

"It's not funny," Brooke snapped, irritably.

Haley put her hands up in surrender. "Sorry. I got a mental picture and it was a little bit funny."

"Haley!"

"….Sorry."

"I mean are they trying to prove a point or something?"

"They're in love, Brooke," Haley said, quietly. She placed a comforting hand on hers and squeezed it. "They love each other and I know it's hard for you to see because you just broke up with Chase and…well how you still feel about Lucas."

"You know I pass by his editor's office building everyday to go to work? We must have been moments away from seeing each other again so many times. Things could have turned out so differently."

Haley stared at her, baffled. "How?"

"I don't know. I don't know, Haley. I just know things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to."

"How can you say that Brooke? You have an amazing clothing line, a magazine, you're a household name for goodness sakes."

"But I have no one, Haley. I have no one and Peyton got the storybook ending. They were the love story that was not supposed to happen."

Haley's eyes widened. "Brooke."

"No, don't give those judgmental eyes Haley. Everyone was rooting for Lucas and I and you know it because you were one of them."

"Things change Brooke. And what I wanted from the moment Lucas entered you and Peyton's lives was for him to be happy. And he is…with Peyton and their children. William and Anna. She really loves you ya'know. And you can't tell me you don't love that child."

"How do you not love Anna Scott," Brooke smiled, thinking of the wide-eyed little blonde with the big voice and enormous personality.

"Then how can you sit here and tell me that her and her brother were not meant to be here, Brooke."

Brooke threw her head into her hands. "I'm this horrible jealous person that I don't even recognize. I wasn't like this before I came here, Haley. I have to get out of here."

"Is running away supposed to help that? I mean you have been in New York and the way you feel about Lucas followed you there for all these years."

"What else would you have me do Haley? Stay here and watch her make out with him in front of me? No way. I can't do that."

Haley shook her head and gingerly asked, "Brooke, do you think that she took him from you?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Most times," she amended. "But the rest of the time when I see the four of them together or I see him…look at her….I know things turned out just as they should," she cried, quietly.

Haley drew her into her arms. Loving Lucas Scott was….hard. He should come with a sign, she thought wearily. Lindsey had learned the same hard lesson several years ago. Haley liked her and admired the fact that the woman continued to edit book after book that was some way or other a love note to his wife.

"I know. I know you have to leave and it's for the best, but I just hope you'll come back to us."

Brooke pulled back and smiled, her eyes shining. She drew the other woman into another hug. "Yeah, me too."

They separated and Haley wiped at her eyes. "Are you at least going to say goodbye to Peyton?"

"I think it's best that I don't."

"Come on Brooke. You can't leave things like this with her. It would be like repeating history. Leave on a good note."

"I don't know if Lucas would let me within ten feet of their door even if I wanted to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Brooke shook her head and waved her off. "He heard me fighting with Peyton and played his husband role," she shrugged.

"Played his husband role?"

"He told me to stay away from her. I guess I don't blame him though. And you shouldn't either Haley," she added seeing the look on Haley's face.

"God I don't know what it is with Lucas and Nathan both, they're so over protective."

"Must be nice."

"Brooke-"

"No…Don't feel bad for having a husband that loves you, Haley."

"Maybe Peyton would like to hear that from you before you go," Haley ventured.

Brooke pursed her lips and looked away, blinking tears from her eyes. "I hate when you're right. But I don't know that I'm there yet."

"Fine." Haley swallowed her impatience. "But try and get there."

"That's all anyone can do Hales."

"William get out of there, right now!"

The baby, looked up at his mother, and cooed a soft, "Uh oh," before scampering out of her garden, but not before yanking up a bundle of forget-me-nots by the roots.

Peyton was silenced, staring in wonder as the baby plopped himself down in the grass and began shaking the blue flowers like pompoms.

With a shake of her head, Peyton went back to her gardening, keeping one eye on the children, even though the backyard was fenced.

Karen and Lily had left awhile ago. Peyton could tell from the look on Karen's face that she was going to sit Lily down and tell her the truth about her father and why he wasn't there.

She had hugged the older women and insisted that she call if she needed anything at all.

"I'll be fine," Karen assured. "You just take care of him," she nodded towards Lucas who had been hanging a squealing, Lily upside down by her ankles. Despite the goofing around, Peyton nodded, knowing as his mother did, that the blonde man tended to internalize his emotions, often to his own detriment.

"Willy has your flowers Momma," Anna cried, looking up from the hole she was digging in her sandbox.

"I know," Peyton sighed, looking back at her boy, who was now trying to stuff the handful of mangled flowers into the front of his overall pockets. She chuckled at his crossed eyed concentration.

"He can have them."

"But not mine!" Anna countered, looking proudly over at the little square of earth that Lucas had given her, complete with a multicolored sign that Peyton helped Anna make, which read, Anna's Garden in childish lettering.

"Nope. Not yours, sweetie. That garden is all for you. Maybe one day we can make a garden for William, huh?" Then he can kill his own flowers, she mentally added.

"Yeah," Anna nodded, dropping her shovel and climbing out of the sandbox. Bored of digging holes she decided she wanted to color, and went to the porch to collect her crayons and paper.

"Momma, where's Daddy?"

"He's in his office writing a book, sweetheart, remember?"

"Oh…I keep forgetting," she giggled, before sitting down on the steps to draw. William toddled over to her with flowers hanging out of the front of his denim overalls and sat down at her feet.

"You wanna draw, Willy?" The baby stared up at her, with a string of drool hanging from his open mouth, before exclaiming, "Ah!"

"Look I'll show you."

Peyton wished she had her camera with her, as she watched Anna kneel down beside him, and put a crayon in his chubby little hand. Taking his hand she tried to help him color on her paper.

Smiling, she was about to turn her attention back to her gardening when a movement out of the corner of her eye, made her look up. She stood immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He had shaved the beard off and cut his hair, and there was no denying who stood in front of her. He always looked like he was on the verge of a sinister smile. "I've come to see my grandkids."

Lucas clicked the save button on his computer screen and sat back to crack his neck and survey his work. He was pleased with himself for finishing it, despite the events of the day. But then again, writing had always been his therapy. That and Peyton.

He was staring off into space daydreaming about his wife with a mooney smile when his monitor blipped at him. Clicking the accept button he sat back and smiled as his editor's face popped up on the screen.

"Hey Linds. Boy are you going to be proud of me," he simpered.

Lindsey's eyebrow piqued teasingly. "Am I? I usually save my feelings of pride for clients who finish a book for me."

"Ah, Lindsey, I've finished three books for you. I should be your favorite already. But if a book is what you need to show me some affection, then, heads up."

"Did you finish the book?" Lindsey asked, sitting up straighter in her seat. Lucas grinned. Her enthusiasm for his work was what made working with her such a pleasure.

"Five minutes ago. I'm sending it to you right now."

"Ah! I love you!" She caught herself with a light blush and cocked her head. "I'll start reading it right now."

Lucas smiled gently. She was a sweet woman and incredibly beautiful. Lucas knew he could probably fall for her if Peyton wasn't in the picture, but he never entertained such thoughts. He couldn't imagine a picture without Peyton in it. He was vaguely aware that Lindsey had harbored a crush on him for a short while. Whether she still did or not, he wasn't sure, but Lindsey knew where his heart lay after editing three books she knew where essentially love letters to his curly haired wife.

"Thanks, Linds. How is…Mark is it?"

"Yes," Lindsey smiled. "It's still new, but I think we could have something. I don't wanna jump the gun, though. It's hard the have a relationship when you're constantly striving for something as epic as what a certain client of mine has."

Lucas glanced lovingly down at the picture of Peyton on his desk. "Aim for epic, Linds. It is totally worth it."

Peyton stared at Dan, her gaze unwavering as she spoke.

"Baby, can you take your brother inside and go find Daddy please?"

"Momma, who is that?"

"Anna now," Peyton said sternly. Pouting, the little girl took her brother's hand and tried to lead him up the stairs, but the baby wanted his mother.

"Mommy, Willy won come wiff me!" Peyton turned finally to her children, and reached a hand out to William, who toddled towards her.

"Okay. It's okay, you go inside and get Daddy-" Peyton's tone was soothing, but no nonsense. She was aware of Dan behind her and she could feel him staring at the children.

"Peyton-"

"Dan, I want you off my property," Peyton growled, scooping her boy up and cradling his head on her shoulder. Her body was turned slightly away, shielding her son slightly.

"That's a fine looking boy you've got there, Peyton. And a beautiful little girl."

"Look, I appreciate you shaving your beard off and crazying it down for my children's benefits, but you need to go before Lucas comes out here. We have nothing to say to you and right now you are trespassing."

"You know I'd always thought Lucas would end up with that brunette. Whats her name? Brooke wasn't it? Hot little body on that one. Lucas really dropped the ball there didn't he."

"Get out!"

"You seem to be under the impression that you live in a bubble, Ms. Sawyer. Pardon me-Mrs. Scott. One day you are going to wake up and find the world you constructed has flaws."

"Get off my property," Peyton turned and began ascending the stairs.

"Kind of like your husband's heart."

At that, Peyton stopped and turned, rigidly. William had begun to fuss. "Shut up. His heart is fine."

"For now," Dan shrugged. His teasing tone dropped and his face turned serious. "What about your mother. Died of cancer, right? You ever wonder which one of your children inherited which disease?"

"You shut up right now! I mean it," Peyton cried, her arms beginning to shake. Tear began stinging her eyes. Of course she thought of Lucas's HCM and Ellie's cancer. She didn't even know who her birth father was or what he could have passed down.

Her hold on William tightened and the baby, sensing his mother's distress, burst into tears.

Dan's expression softened at the child's cries. "His name is William?"

"I mean it Dan," Peyton's voice shook. "Get the hell out."

"I'd listen to her," Lucas's voice rumble from behind her and Peyton spun around with a sigh. Lucas's eyes shifted to Peyton's, silently asking if she was okay. He pressed a comforting hand to his crying boy's head and whispered to his wife. "Go inside Peyton."

"Luke-"

"I'll be in soon. Keep the kids away from the windows." He was looking at Dan now and Peyton shivered walking inside. Lucas waited for the door to shut and paused a few moments before he went down the stairs.

"I don't know what they were thinking, letting a killer walk free. Or how it was that we didn't get contacted when your parole hearing came up-"

At the look of surprise on Dan's face Lucas laughed. "What you didn't think that our not showing up meant we forgave you did it? That we somehow forgot you and what you did? Wrong. You better believe if we had known, we'd have been there to make sure you _never_ got out. You don't deserve to breath free air, Dan."

"Lucas, you may not believe this and I don't expect you to, but I cha-"

His words were cut off by Lucas's fist connecting solidly with his jaw.

"Get off my property, Dan. Do not come back. Do NOT go near my mother or Lily and if I ever see you anywhere near my wife or children again I will kill you."

"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree huh?"

Lucas tackled him, not caring where his swinging fist connected. The men tumbled for awhile. But Dan had always been bigger and managed to get the upper hand, before scrambling to his feet.

Both men glared at each other, heaving. "I am not like you Dan!"

"Aren't you? I'm dying Lucas."

"I don't believe you."

"It's true. It's my HCM, Lucas. I have six months to live unless I get a heart transplant."

Lucas stared at him. "That's the first time you've ever given me good news Dan. I'm calling the police if you aren't gone in ten seconds."

Lucas turned and walked back into his house, slamming the door behind him.

**Sorry for the lack of Leyton loving in there. I'm still trying to talk myself out of writing a scene where Peyton has reason to knee him in the testicles. But only because Peyton won't do it on the show. ;p**

**Come on. You know you want to see Peyton lay that bastard out. Uh oh...deep breaths. I swear I can get over it.**


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm an a-hole. I know. But a busy busy a-hole which is why the wait has been so long. And when you consider the fact that I wasn't even planning on continuing this series for quite sometime, this update is actually pretty damn lucky. Yeah...**

**Anywho, I have been very busy. I'm taking French this summer because...well I hate myself apparently. I just wanted to give you guys something. Thanks again for all the patience and all the great reviews.**

Lucas gingerly touched the pink bruise on his cheek and sighed heavily, before turning the bathroom light off and walking into his and Peyton's bedroom. His mind was wound up, already thinking about who he could call at the hospital to prove Dan was lying. Dan had to be lying. He was lying to get close to his family and it wasn't going to work. Then, his mind instantly chastised him for even entertaining the thought. What did it matter whether Dan was telling the truth or not? The man had nothing to do with them anymore. Nothing.

He had called Haley and his mother to warn them, in case Dan decided to show up on their doorsteps, not that everyone wasn't already on alert. He then had to explain to his ever curious daughter that the less scary man who had shown up in the backyard and the scary man at the park were one in the same, and he had simply shaved his beard off. That seemed to be the only positive thing that came from Dan's visit because Anna had no trouble going to sleep in her own bed that night knowing that her grandfather wasn't a scary Bigfoot, but a normal man who Anna thought "looked like he should have a "suitcase" and wear a tie."

"I can't believe he hit you," Peyton murmured for the third time since it happened.

"Luke?"

"He murdered his own brother in cold blood, Peyton. Punching his son in the face is small potatoes," Lucas grumbled back. He'd been in a foul mood since that evening, escaping to his office shortly after dinner, and only resurfacing to help ready the children for bed.

Peyton knew this was difficult for him. And she soon came to realize this same behavior is what worried her into believing he didn't want to be with her during their senior year after Honey Grove. Lucas tended to shipwreck himself on his own little island and then proceeded to build walls around the island so no one could reach him.

Peyton sighed as he paced up and down their bedroom, raging to himself.

The only problem with that was, they were no longer seventeen. They were married and they had worked out a way to cohabit the said island. Finding herself afloat by herself was not an option. She needed him too. As much as she knew he needed her. What Dan had said to her that evening had shook her and she needed her husband to hold her and tell her everything would be okay.

She needed some certainty.

"Luke? Baby come to bed. Lucas," she reached out and grabbed hold of his tee shirt, stilling his movements. "Lucas, come to bed," she implored.

He looked at her kneeling there on their sheets wearing a pair of little blue shorts and one of his button down night shirts that was far too big for her and hung off one of her shoulders. Her hair was an angelic halo around her beautiful alabaster face and those eyes….Those green eyes.

Lucas flushed at the lovely sight before him, and felt himself instantly calm down. He'd forgotten his best medicine. Raising a corner of his lips in his signature smile, he climbed into bed beside her and together they lay down. He shut off the light and rested his head on her chest, arms circling her waist. Peyton stroked his hair, kissed his forehead, and held him tight.

He'd he married his medicine. This is what will heal me, he thought, thinking back to a day in high school when he had sought comfort in her embrace.

"Dan said he's dying," he whispered, moodily. Peyton raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"He _claims_ he has six months to live if he doesn't get a heart transplant."

"Is-is it his HCM?" Hearing the tremor in her voice Lucas sat up just a bit to look at her.

"Peyton, the man is obviously lying. It's what he does best after murdering, and sucking the happiness out of people's lives."

"What does he want?"

"Peyton…It doesn't matter what that bastard wants. If it's redemption, he knocked on the wrong damn door."

"I just-was wondering," Peyton shrugged, feeling a weight in her chest that wouldn't go away.

"Why? What did he say to you outside?"

"He just…mentioned all the sickness that runs in both our families, Luke."

"Our families? You mean my HCM?"

"And Ellie's cancer," Peyton added, quietly.

Lucas stared at her through the darkness, keeping his mouth sealed shut for the moment. If he opened his mouth a string of loud, angry curses would leave it and he would wake the whole neighborhood. That wretched son of a bitch.

"He implied that there might be something more wrong with your heart. He was rambling Luke. It doesn't matter what he said. He said some awful things, but knowing what they are isn't going to make this any better for you."

Lucas closed his eyes briefly, before opening his mouth to speak. He was touched by her attentiveness to his feelings, but the last thing he wanted to do was burden his wife with his issues.

"Peyton, I don't want you to carry this by yourself. What he said, it hurt you. It frightened you. Don't be afraid alone okay?"

"Same goes for you too buster," Peyton said, poking him in the chest. Lucas leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder in reply, before looking up at her bemusedly. She knew him entirely too well.

"Are you at least going to see if it's true?"

Lucas sighed and rolled onto his back, pulling Peyton atop him to snuggle into his chest and wrap a long bare leg around one of his own.

"I don't know. Either way….he wins somehow."

"He only wins if we let him get to us, Luke."

"Then I guess he wins," Lucas murmured, with a shrug. "I know what you're afraid of. I'm terrified of the same thing."

"You are?" Peyton leaned her head back to look at him.

"Sometimes," Lucas's voice came out choked and Peyton pressed a comforting hand to his face. "I watch them playing in the yard or sleeping and I wonder which one of them I passed it down to. Which one of my babies did I give a broken heart?"

"Lucas," Peyton gapped, feeling the sudden sting of tears at his pained revelation. She rested her forehead against his and pressed kisses to his face. "Baby, this isn't your fault. This isn't anyone's fault."

"I could never regret their existence, Peyton, but we never talked about what we could be inflicting on the kids."

"Lucas what are you saying? Do you not want anymore children?"

He regarded her face. There was sadness, surprise, and a hint of fear in her eyes that he wished wasn't there. They had decided to try to have another baby, just that morning but now, all those dreams of becoming parents again seemed dashed in an instant of doubt.

"I don't know Peyt. I don't know what the hell I'm saying."

Peyton asked the next question carefully, almost wary of his answer. "Would you not be here if you had a choice? Knowing that you would be born with HCM would you not want to be here?"

"Of course not," he whispered back, looking into her shining green eyes. "To not have known you or gotten the chance to love you, I would never wish that."

"Then don't take on any kind of guilt for something that you would change for them if you could. I know you would give your life if it meant they never had to hurt in any way, but…that's the way life is Lucas. There's hurt and we get passed it and sometimes we learn to live with it. Just like you live with your heart disease."

"And you," Lucas said softly, running his fingers through her soft curls. "You know about hurt, don't you my love. And look at you. You're a survivor."

"And so are you," Peyton replied. Lucas leaned up to kiss her gently on the lips, his breathing slow and even as he stroked her skin beneath her night shirt. He pulled back and looked down into her face. Her hair was a curly blonde halo on the pillows.

"You are so beautiful Peyton." He slowly began unbuttoning his wife's nightshirt.

Smiling, Peyton gave him a patented Peyton response of, "You aren't so bad yourself." The reply seemed to put everything left, right with the world. She was his constant. His touchstone.

He swept down to capture her lips once more. His tongue moved along her lower lip, tasting, teasing, and eventually seeking entrance into her mouth, which she gave readily.

His tongue disappeared into the warm luscious depths of her mouth. She tasted clean and familiar. The last button undone he wrapped his arms around her waist, moaning when she arched into him like a bow.

They broke the kiss momentarily to tug his shirt off and once it was cast aside he pressed his body to hers, reveling in the feel of her soft skin against his bare chest. He felt everything else beyond the space of their bed fall away and disappear. There was nothing and no one in this world but the woman beneath him, stroking his tongue with her own.

They pulled back for some much needed air, and Peyton sat up a bit to allow Lucas to pull off her shirt completely and toss it aside. He then buried his face into Peyton's exposed neck, nipping and sucking at the sweet skin there.

"Lucas," Peyton sighed. Moaning, Lucas kissed his way down to her perfect breasts, running his tongue along a blushed peak. Crying out as loudly as she dared, she lifted her hips as Lucas slid her shorts and panties down her legs. He pulled them off over her feet, and breathing heavily he dropped back down to press soft butterfly kisses upon her stomach. His hands spread her legs and he teased the insides of her thighs with his open mouth, dragging his lips against the silken flesh.

He peeked up at her, smiling against her as she writhed sensuously. He felt himself harden even more and moved his lips closer to the place she desperately wanted him. He moaned aloud at the scent of her, reached his tongue out to lick away the wetness that clung to her swollen lips. Her high pitched moan, made him twitch with want.

"Lucas, I want you inside me," Peyton tugged lightly on his hair to pull him up. As appreciative as she was at how attentive and willing to please her Lucas was, she wanted him inside her, filling her up. She wanted to be one with him, wanted to him to lose himself in her and her in him.

Seeing the want in her eyes, Lucas shed his boxers and crawled back up her body leaving languorous kisses and teasing nibbles as he went. He finally came back up to her lovely face and their lips crashed together once again in a heated kiss. Lucas rubbed his erection against her heat, cradled between her thighs.

Peyton flipped them over so she could bath his body in kisses before hovering over him to stare intently into his eyes.

She wanted to say so much. You don't deserve to have Dan as a father. He missed out. You make me fall in love with you all over again, everyday. William and Anna are so lucky to have you. I'm lucky to have you. Don't ever leave me. Hold me and don't let go. I love you. I love you. I'm still so in love with you.

The tear that dropped from her eye to his face and trailed down his cheek like it was his own spoke for her. Lucas felt his heart swell and his eyes burn as he pulled her face down to his own to interlock his lips with hers gently and then more forcefully as her body stretched and arched wantonly in his arms.

Reaching between them she grasped him, stroked the length of him. His moan made her smile and couldn't hold in a giggle as he bucked into her sending her body on a short ride. Her own moans joined his as she slipped him between her folds and rocked back and forth along his cock. The slick heat was unbearable.

"Oh God, Peyton you're so soft," Lucas breathed, grasping her head between his hands and attacking her neck as they drove each other crazy with the sweet friction.

"Mmm, Luke, God I need you,"

"Tell me what you want baby," he husked. "You want me inside you? Hm?" He nipped at her lips and with a hungry moan Peyton deepened it. "Tell me Peyt."

"I want you inside me, Luke. Fill me up."

"I want that too," he whispered against her, flipping them over effortlessly. "I love being inside you Peyt." Breathless sounds filled the room as he inched his way into her, slowly. "You know why?" Because you're so soft. And you're always so wet for me. Am I right?"

"Yes," Peyton sighed as he sank into her completely. She gasped in protest as he pulled out until just the tip remained surrounded in her heat and he began teasing her with only a few inches. "I'm always like this for you Lucas. Only you. Can you feel how wet I am for you?"

"God, yes," he wrenched out, dragging his tongue along her throat.

"Make me come Lucas," Peyton moaned. "I want you deep."

"Yeah?"

"I want to feel you," she pleaded breathlessly. Her breathless plea turned into a moan of pleasure as Lucas plunged in again, deeper this time. Peyton gasped urging him on with her hips as he began thrusting inside of her long deep strokes that shook them both with pleasure at every movement.

There were still worries beneath the surface as he sought her mouth with his for a hot kiss. Worries about their children would never abate or cease, but on this night as the breathy sighs and moans of their shared pleasure pierced the darkness he knew those worries, all of them would be shared. And that made all the difference.

**Reviews make my muse dance.**


	31. Chapter 31

**You know what sucks? Well, aside from me for making you all wait. French class during the summer time my friends. Yes. Hella lame, kinda like me. But you know what doesn't suck? YOU GUYS! Thanks for all the fantastic reviews. This month has gone by rather quickly and before you know it, the new season of oth will be here. Here's hoping Mark doesn't screw it up. I imagine he couldn't do much worse then last season...so there's that...**

**Anyhow, on with the show...**

The next morning found Brooke hefting the last of her luggage into Rachel's car. She had mixed feelings about going back to New York City, but she knew without a doubt that to stay in Tree Hill meant far more heartache than she could handle. And it seemed drama was revisiting the old gang in the form of a murderous father out on parole. These people had their hands full, already.

Still as Brooke said her last goodbyes to Haley and Nathan, she couldn't help wanting to see Lucas and Peyton once more. She hated leaving things the way they were and mostly she couldn't bear to leave Tree Hill knowing Lucas was mad at her.

"Wipe that look off your face, Brookie Monster."

Brooke looked beside her at Rachel, who was appraising her with a raised eyebrow from the driver's seat.

"What look?"

"That, I-have-a-bad-idea look. It doesn't work for you."

"I can't leave with them mad at me," Brooke shot back, not even bothering to deny it.

"Brooke, by them, you mean Lucas. And going over there when he expressly told you not to come near them again does not scream come say goodbye before you go."

"He didn't say not to come near them ever again. Besides I can't leave things the way they are, Rachel. I can't go back to New York with him thinking I'm this horrible person. I'm not."

"Jealousy will do strange things to an otherwise sane person, Brooke. Trust me."

"I am not jealous," Brooke exclaimed.

"Oh please! Who are you trying to kid? I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you're jealous of Peyton in the worst possible way. You want her life with Lucas down to the those two kids, and what's worse is you think you were supposed to have that, that _they _weren't supposed to have that."

"They weren't," Brooke muttered petulantly. "I was confused senior year when I broke up with Lucas because she told me she still had feelings for him. I was insecure, and rightfully so, considering their sordid history."

"You know I hate this song, yet you insist on playing it over and over and over again," Rachel sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Just, please stop at his house, Rachel. Isn't it enough that I'm going back with you? And I know it's good that I go back. I just want to say goodbye and try to make things right before I go," Brooke pleaded.

"How do you know they're even awake? It's six-thirty in the morning and if we leave too late how are we supposed to make it back in time for cocktail hour?"

"Rachel please. It's New York City. Every hour is cocktail hour and they have kids. Kids wake up at ungodly hours all the time and Peyton probably has to go to the gallery today since she wasn't there yesterday right? Unless she really does have it all and has a job that pays her to do nothing."

"Careful, you're bitter is showing."

"Rachel…."

"Fine," the red-head growled. She made the turn although she didn't think any of it could be made right that morning considering Brooke still believed she had a claim on Lucas. Maybe, she thought, saying her piece or having Lucas yell at her again would help her find some type of closure.

"Hey you," Peyton whispered, stepping out onto the balcony where Lucas was sitting in his boxers. Lucas looked back at her and smiled gently. His button down was haphazardly buttoned and once again falling off her shoulder. Miles of long bare leg appeared from the hem and he felt himself stiffen.

"Hey beautiful," he replied just as softly, his eyes moving back up towards her face. "How's our boy?"

"He's fell back asleep a little bit ago," Peyton replied, moving to sit in his lap instead of the other chair. "When do you think you'll have to go up to New York?"

"I don't know," Lucas replied, kissing her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Depends on Lindsey's workload."

"You've always been her top priority," Peyton smirked. "I'm sure she'll be done reading it this morning."

This earned her a light pinch in her sides. "I can't help it that I'm her favorite client," he replied cheekily.

"I wonder why," Peyton teased. "It can't be your writing."

"Ouch," Lucas pouted.

"She hasn't gotten a look at these cute freckles on your back, has she?"

"Hm….no I can't imagine, because last time I was in New York she was on the top-ow!" Lucas laughed, as Peyton none too lightly pinched him. "You started it," he chuckled, settling his hands on her hips.

"Those freckles are mine," she growled, bumping noses with him.

"Mmmm. What else is yours?" Lucas queried with a smile. Grinning Peyton straddled his lap and leaned in to suck his lower lip between her own and then the top lip got the same attention.

"This," she whispered into his mouth. Her hands traveled up and down his arms and then over his chest and abdomen. "And this."

A kiss on the upturned tip of his odd nose. "This, too." A butterfly kiss to both eyes. "And these." She lifted his hands to her lips and kissed the palms, under his watchful gaze, his lids at half-mast. "These."

Then she rolled her hips into his erection, making him groan out loud. "And this."

She moaned as she continued to grind her hips into his, feeling herself responding. How could she not? Her husband was a sexy, handsome man, and the way he was staring at her right now was enough to get her so hot.

Unbuttoning her top Peyton slowed her movements and leaned into his ear. "Know what you get?" Peyton opened up her shirt and let it slide to the floor to reveal her nakedness underneath. She sat back resting her hands on his knees and looked at him seductively. "This."

Lucas moaned as he drank her in. God, she was gorgeous. Her rose tipped nipples were hardened little buds and he longed to suck them into his mouth, lick them like they were sweet little candies. His hands smoothed over the soft expanse of sun-kissed skin and he felt himself harden even more. She made his mouth water.

"God Lucas touch me," Peyton sighed, throwing her head back, she clung to his neck and continued to rotate her hips over his erection.

"Fuck Peyton," he moaned, pulling her hips into his own, tightly as he surged forward to pull one of her nipple into his mouth. Her keening cry told him and any neighbor that happened to be passing by their house, that it felt really good.

Sucking on the tender little bud, he flicked his tongue over it, once, twice.

"OH FUCK Luke. YES!" She gritted through her teeth.

She was so hot for him, right now. He reached a hand between her legs to play with her and almost came at how wet she was.

"Fuck Peyton," he panted, pulling away from her nipple. "You are soaking wet, baby. God you're so wet," he moaned, moving his fingers between her folds. He teased her pulsing clit with his thumb and she cried out, both of them forgetting or not caring that they were sitting on their balcony.

Peyton's whole body was on fire a she lowered her head and reached feverishly for his mouth, their tongues meeting first, before their lips crashed together. His free hand dove into her hair fisting her curls to pull her closer still to deepen the already hot kiss.

Peyton reached down between them and freed his cock from his boxers and began stroking the length of him. She rolled her thumb over the tip of him, using the moisture to slide her hand up and down his thick cock. He moaned into the kiss, before breaking it.

"I need to be inside of you," he husked, raising her hips and allowing her sink down onto his cock. She let out a long shuddering moan as he filled her, stretched her. They stayed like that for a moment, Lucas buried deep inside Peyton, before she began to move, rolling her hips in his lap.

"Mmm, you feel so good," Lucas sighed, caressing her backside and kissing her neck. He jolted his hips upward and Peyton cried out. In one swift movement Lucas picked her up and stood, twirling to press her into the side of the house.

"Good morning Mrs. Scott," he husked into her ear, with a smile.

Meanwhile little Anna Scott had scampered downstairs to get Paddington Bear. She didn't bother trying to wake her parents, having been told numerous times to wait for them to come get her, which was fine. Anna had an active imagination that kept her busy in the morning, while here parents did whatever it is they did when she wasn't allowed in. This particular morning her toys having a very important tea party that simply couldn't happen without Paddington Bear who she remembered William had dragged to the living room after dinner.

"There you are Paddyton," she cried, finding him sitting underneath the coffee table where William had strangely decided to fall asleep. She scooped him up, stopping briefly to give him good cuddle before making her way back to the steps.

"Everyone is waiting for you Paddyton. You have to sit next to Barbie cause you're late," she added seriously. "But we gots marm-lade for you! You want some marm-lade?"

Before the bear could reply about his desire for his favorite sweet treat, there was a short wrap on the door. Knowing she wasn't supposed to answer the door for strangers and also knowing she was supposed to wait for her parents to wake, the little girl was torn.

"Uh Oh, Paddyton. What do we do?" She peeked out the window and furrowed her eyebrows. This visitor wasn't a stranger, but she wasn't so sure about answering the door for her either. In her short life, Anna had not known any pretty people to be unkind. All the villains in her story books were old and warty and sometimes green. The woman who stood on the other side of the door looked like one of her princesses, but she was pretty sure nice princesses didn't use the f-word or make her Mommy, who was the fairest of them all, to cry.

"You made my momma sad!"

Brooke looked down sharply at the little voice that floated up through the mail slot in the door.

"Anna?" Brooke bent down and regarded the angry green eyes and pert little nose staring back at her.

"You yelled at Mommy! Daddy is mad at you and you said a bad word! That was naughty!" Anna brought a finger up to waggle it at her through the slot.

Feeling like the lowest of the low, Brooke sighed. It was bad enough that Lucas was pissed at her, but now this sweet little four year old was telling her off. This was worse than Lucas yelling at her.

"I know sweetie. I said some things that weren't nice to your mom and I didn't mean to make her sad."

"You're lucky Daddy and me is her rob-tussin."

Brooke furrowed her brows in confusion. Rob-tussin?

"Anna, I'm really sorry, sweetie and you know I actually came by to apologize to your Mommy for making her sad."

"You're really sorry?" Anna asked, doubtfully.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah sweetheart. I really am."

"Kay," Anna shrugged and made no further movements, making Brooke furrow her brows slightly in confusion.

"Um….Anna-"

"Wanna say hi to Paddyton?" The bear's black shoe button eyes replaced the little girl's green ones.

"Sure, honey, but can you maybe open the door?"

"No, cause I gotta wait for mommy and daddy to come get me and I can't reach da' top lock."

"They aren't awake?"

Not knowing the woman couldn't see her, the little girl only shrugged in response.

"I don't know. But I'm spossed to wait so you gots to too. An I have a very important tea party to go to and Paddyton is already late!"

"But-"

"Bye Brooke!" The mail slot shut and Brooke heard little feet scurrying up the stairs.

"Dammit," she sighed, stamping her foot.

"Won't let you through the door huh?" Rachel's voice came from behind her.

"Anna is awake, but I don't know if Lucas and Peyton are."

"It is kind of early," the red head shrugged, glancing across the street at someone leaving for work. "For suburbia. Tough break, shorty. Guess you'll have to text your apology like everyone else in America."

"No wait, we can wait a bit and still be back in the city in time for cocktail hour."

"Brooke this waiting around for them to wake up is kind of desperate. Brooke Davis doesn't do- shouldn't do desperate, rather. It makes you look fat."

Rolling her eyes Brooke sighed and walked off the step, ready to throw in the towel, when she heard a sound.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Rachel asked, watching Brooke as she cocked her head to listen. Then she heard it too. A faint wail. Dying cat? She heard it again, and raised her eyebrows, recognition hitting her before Brooke.

She began tugging on Brooke's arm towards the car. "It's probably nothing. Let's go now Brooke. We look like thieves."

Brooke ignored her, her faced scrunched, trying to figure out what the sound was and began walking around the house. She stopped dead in her tracks when a deeper groan echoed through the Weeping Willow beside them, a decidedly familiar sounding groan.

"That sounds like…"

"You want some advice, Brooke," Rachel sighed. "Don't look up."

Brooke did just that and really wished a moment later that she had listened to Rachel. The girl was full of good advice.

**I'm evil. There's just something about a jealous Brooke walking in on Lucas and Peyton that makes me smile. Hell maybe I'll do it again. ;-) **

**Shout out to JoeyCreek9 for the idea. **

**Now it's your turn to gimme a lil sumthin sumthin. Click the button. Click it. **


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: You know I wish I was one of those authors that could pump out a chapter a week. But kids, that's just not how I roll. I think you have all come to expect this from me and I thank you all for your patience. Plus it just makes it even better when a new chapter appears. In this often hum-drum existence we like to call life, who doesn't want a few Christmasbirthdays sprinkled in. That's right Christmasbirthdays. The feeling you get when your fave author drops a new chap-often expressed by squealing and/or mentally jumping up and down and clapping your hands giddily. For example, when Mattuf1 updates any of his stories like Letting the Cables Sleep and Wasteland, I express my happiness with a fist pump...sometimes two depanding on how much of a fix I need, and a "YES!".**

**So that, being said Happy Christmasbirthday everyone. **

Lucas's muscles flexed as he held Peyton's body up against the side of the house and began pounding into her with his thick length. His hands grasped her ass as she cradled his body with her own, legs locked around his waist, matching him thrust for thrust.

The fact that they were outside and in clear view of anyone who was looking only registered slightly to them. The weeping willow served to mask them somewhat from prying eyes, but not completely, and they knew they should probably go inside to their bed. Truthfully the thought of anyone seeing them, thrilled them a bit. A strange fact considering the mortification they felt in the instances when they'd been walked in on by various friends and family members.

This was different though. This was the dash of spice that kept their love life hot, kept it surprising and new. Wanting each other so badly that they had to have each other right there on their patio. It was actually how William had been conceived, in a moment of here and now passion.

Lucas had been gardening in the backyard. After putting Anna down for her nap, Peyton had come outside with a glass of water for him. It had been unseasonably warm out for the springtime and he'd shucked his shirt earlier. She offered him the water, eyes taking in the sweat glistening on his bronzed skin. After accepting the water, he looked up at her, wearing a flimsy, flowered button-down dress, the sun spinning her hair to gold, and at that moment their eyes met. Water and flowers forgotten, he pulled his gloves off and tugged her down to him, pulling her into a passionate kiss, one hand reaching up to pinch her nipple straining through her dress. She whimpered and the dress quickly came off. Then and there.

There was little foreplay, and with the sun beating down on them he entered her, groaning at how wet she was. They were impossibly aroused, every nerve-ending was on fire, humming as they arched, strained, writhed against each other.

It was some of the hottest sex either of them had ever experienced with each other or anyone else. It was worth the mint plant and basil they had destroyed and the long shower they needed afterwards. It still topped Lucas's list of hot sexual encounters with Peyton Sawyer that he liked to daydream about. It was also probably why Mrs. Bean next door looked at them like they were the worst sort of porn stars.

"God you feel so good," he husked, leaning down to suck on the spot on her neck under which her pulse quickened. He raised one hand from her ass to tangle in her hair, pulling her into a deep, intense kiss. Her tongue tangled with his and he moaned deep in his throat, speeding up his movements.

She pulled her head back to cry out, as he pounded into her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and when she opened them-

"Oh my God," she cried.

"I know," he breathed. But while their lovemaking was fantastic, that anyone seeing them turned out to be a shell-shocked looking Brooke and Rachel trying to pull her away. But instead of stiffening and pulling away like she did when Brooke had walked in on them before, something strange came over her.

"Mmm, deeper, Luke," she breathed, gasping as he tightened his hold on her.

"Oooo, _God_ I need you deeper," she cried, tightening her legs around his waist as he pistoned up into her.

"Baby, you are so sexy," Lucas husked, nipping her ear. He pulled out suddenly, making her cry out indignantly before he spun her around and tugged on her hips, walking them backwards. He sat down and she realized his intentions, spreading her legs and sliding down onto his pulsing cock once more. His arms snaked around her waist, one hand kneading her breasts, pinching her nipples, while the other crept between her legs and began rubbing her throbbing clit. Face buried in her neck he pumped into her, hitting her g-spot again and again……

"Wait," Molly laughed. "So you saw her there and you just…"

"Kept having sex? Yes. Yes we did."

"And Lucas didn't know…"

"Nope."  
"And you didn't say anything to him."

Peyton shook her head and raised her eyebrows as Molly practically squealed in evil delight.

"Molly," Peyton sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Can I high five you?"

"No!" Peyton turned back to her painting. "I feel sort of guilty, you know? But, part of me…"

"Loved it?"

"I'm a horrible bitch!"

"No way. You're a wife putting a potential home wrecker in her place," Molly replied, folding her arms. "What was she doing sneaking around your property that early anyway?"

"She left for New York today," Peyton replied, somewhat sadly, as she stared at the canvas. "Guess I lost her for good huh?"

"Peyton," Molly sighed. "It is not your fault that her life isn't what she wanted it to be and it is definitely not your fault that Lucas loves you more then he ever could her. She has been horrible to you since she got back and you shouldn't feel bad that she caught and Lucas going the nasty on your balcony-which by the way is so very kinky of you."

"I can't help it, Moll. Brooke has been my best friend since I was single digits. She was there for me when my mom died. She saved me from Ian on prom night. God it just seems like, she and I got through so much, just to have it fall apart over Lucas again."

"Peyt, I know Brooke means a lot to you, so I'm going to remind you that you and Brooke have gotten through the worst and as cliché as it sounds, if it's meant to be you guys will find a way back but it may not and considering what you have now, maybe it's a fair trade."

"Maybe," Peyton shrugged. "But I don't see how we could come back from this. But that's not the only thing bothering me."

"Dan?"

"How'd you know?"

"I talked to Haley this morning. How are you guys?"

"Luke seemed okay today when I left," Peyton replied, carefully. "He's afraid, I'm afraid because Dan says he needs a heart transplant, because of his HCM."

"Oh sweetie, he's sick?"

"Who knows. He's a lying bastard and if he's sick I couldn't give a flying fuck, but if he's sick….Molly Dan is only in his forties. If it's true, what does this mean for Lucas?"

"Honey, Lucas will be fine. He's strong."

"He's had a heart attack before he was twenty. And he's scared about having past the disease down to Anna or William-" Peyton pressed a hand to her mouth as tears bubbled up from her.

"Oh Peyton," Molly cried, walking over to wrap an arm around her friend, uncaring of the paint splatters on her heels.

"Ellie had cancer. It's genetic and I don't even know who my father is and what he could have passed down. And I-I'm scared for them Molly. I lose everyone that I love and I can't lose my family."

"Oh you won't Peyton," Molly soothed.

"I don't know, Molly," Peyton sighed. "This thing with Dan scares me. The thought of losing Lucas to whatever he may have…"

"Peyton that man is a liar. You've said so yourself. Lucas takes his pills religiously and has his doctor on speed dial because he is afraid of the same thing you are. The idea of leaving you and the kids is torture for him," Molly said. "He's told me as much himself."

"He told you that?"

"Yes. Don't worry about things you have no control over, Peyton."

* * *

"All right bub, gimme those hands," Lucas cooed, wiping William's greasy, grasping little hands with a wet paper towel. Much to the baby's dismay, he then scrubbed his chubby face, which was messy with peas and fish stick crumbs.

"Hey-stay still, William….." he sighed. William swiped at his hands and turned his face trying to make cleaning him up as difficult as possible, making Lucas smile through his slight frustration. His boy was a messy little guy. They were lucky William enjoyed bath time so much otherwise it would be a bigger pain to get him clean.

"Okay. All done," he said, and then lifted his son up from his high chair. "You wanna play with you sister?"

"An-a," William gurgled as Lucas sat him down beside Anna on the floor, before sitting down with them himself.

"Watcha doing Anna banana?"

"I'm reading a book to Paddy-ton," she cried. Lucas chuckled indulgently. She was so funny with her yelling. He couldn't imagine where it came from.

""Why you laughin' Daddy?"

"Because you are funny," he replied, bopping her nose with a finger. At this Anna beamed.

"Mommy says that I'm funny too! She says my des-ball is pres-sus, but I don't know what des-ball is!"

He paused for a moment, but quickly figured out that des-ball was decibel and pres-sus was precious. Understanding Anna was easy for the most part. She had an advanced vocabulary for a four year old, understanding and quickly picking up many words, some her parents would rather she didn't. It took nearly a week for them to keep her from screaming 'boobies' at women in the grocery store when she was three. This particular word was courtesy of Skillz after ten minutes of watching her.

The difficulty came in thinking the word was something a four year old would know. The girl was always paying attention.

"That's decibel, baby. Mommy just meant you're loud."

Anna frowned and then looked confused. "Thas not funny," she said simply after a moment. This made Lucas chuckle again and Anna asked, "Now what'd I do?"

"Nothing baby," Lucas smiled. Anna raised her eyebrow and went back to making up stories out of Lucas's copy of As I Lay Dying to Paddington and now William who was staring at her, expectantly. What did her Gramma call it? Oh yes. Sense. Her Mommy and Daddy sometimes lacked in it. She was convinced that her parent's knew everything, but it was times like this that made the little girl sigh and wonder what her parents would do without her.

Lucas stood to clear up the lunch dishes while the kids were occupied. He was becoming the master of low maintenance lunches that both children could enjoy. Life was far easier now that William was eating some solid foods. He took a bite of the sandwich had made for himself while preparing the children's lunch, but didn't have time to eat between Anna's constant chatter and trying to focus William on his food.

It wasn't an easy job and he'd long ago understood the frustration of stay at home mothers who raised their children thanklessly. He was often praised, as a man for choosing to stay at home with his children and never understood it. No one had given his mother a meddle for raising him by herself, nor do they praise the hundreds of thousands of mothers who do the same.

He paused at the doorway and gazed back at them with a sigh when William squealed with laughter at Anna, who dissolved into laughter of her own…..He chuckled a little as Anna pressed her face up to her brother's sending them both into raucous giggles once again. He wouldn't give any of it up. Yet…

__

Which one of my babies did I give a broken heart?

The phone began to ring, shaking Lucas out of his thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Is it true?"

Lucas furrowed his brows, as he set the plates in the sink. "Is what true?"

"All of it," Jake exclaimed. "Is Dan really out of prison and sick? Is Brooke really gone?"

"Dan's out on parole," Lucas sighed, rubbing his face. He was already tired of the stress the whole thing had brought on. "We weren't contacted because of some computer glitch. There's nothing we can do but appeal and that could take months. He wasted no time, showing up scaring the kids, then threatening Peyton-"

"Whoa, wait. He threatened her?"

"He said some things to her that upset her. Anyway, he and I got into it. That was yesterday."

"Wow," Jake breathed, sitting back at his desk. "I'm sorry man."

Lucas shrugged, even though Jake couldn't see him. "I'm mostly worried about Lily and Mom, the kids. I never wanted them to know him. I never wanted them to have to carry this around with them. I'm just glad William isn't old enough to know what's going on. It's hard enough trying to explain to one child why your father abandoned you and why you won't do the same to her."

"Anna knows you'd never leave her, though, Luke," Jake argued.

"She knows that, but she also thought all daddies were like you, Nate, and I. She's sensitive, Jake. She holds onto things and she won't forget them."

Lucas leaned against the doorframe and watched as Anna patiently waited for William's chubby fingers to turn the page.

"She's afraid for Peyton to leave her like her like Peyton's mom left her. She said so herself to Peyton yesterday and it just about broke my heart."

"Aw man, Luke," Jake sighed, sympathetically.

"She's too little, too innocent to have to know about mothers and fathers leaving. She shouldn't have to know about any of the bad yet, Jake."

"We all wanna protect our children for as long as we can from the world Luke. It was hell having to explain to Jenny the history with me and her mom and she didn't understand it for a long time. But she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that her parents both love her. Anna knows that from both you and Peyton. You're both good with her Luke. Anna is well rounded and smart. A little too sassy for her own good, but-" he added, making both men chuckle.

"Is this your professional opinion?" Lucas asked with some humor.

"It is. And that of a friends. You're doing great, given the lives you've been given. It's not easy having a loaded history."

"Tell me about it," Lucas sighed. "Makes for a good book though," he joked.

Jake laughed. "Yeah. So, Brooke is gone?"

"Guess so," Lucas shrugged.

"She didn't stop by to say goodbye to you either huh?"

"There was no reason for her to say anything to us, before she left."

Jake paused at the chilliness in Lucas's voice. "What does that mean?"

"Her and Peyton exchanged some words," he explained, shortly. "I told her to stay away so I guess she listened."

"What did she say?" Jake asked, furrowing his brows.

"She was yelling at her. She said Peyton whined about everything she lost."

Jake's jaw dropped. "What?!" Only in Tree Hill, he thought, could everything so drastically change in a matter of twenty four hours.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either," Lucas chuffed. "You know at Tric she said some things that got me thinking that she wasn't here for the reasons we thought she was and as it turns out I was right."

"What did she say?"

"She told Peyton that she basically gave me to her back in high school. She just made it sound like I would have never even thought to be with Peyton had she not nudged me in her direction. And then she had the nerve to bring up Peyton's visit with you."

"….Um what visit?" Jake asked after a beat, wondering how much Lucas knew about it. The memory was no longer as painful as it used to be and he used to often wonder whether Peyton had told Lucas about it.

"When Peyton went down to Savannah to visit you and Jenny. I know, Jake…That she proposed to you."

"Oh," Jake mumbled. There was a moment of semi-awkward silence between the two men, dashing them back to the months after Lucas and Peyton returned from their honeymoon, when he had just begun dating Molly. The two had been forced to spend uncomfortable time together because of their significant others. Jake had been more uncomfortable around Lucas than around Peyton. After all, in what universe did the husband and the ex-lover chat over beer and steaks while their wife and girlfriend respectively talked about art in the next room? But that was how the cards seemed to fall. The friendship between Lucas and Jake had been carefully cultivated. Both men had been careful around each other for months. But somehow the two had gotten over the hump. Jake understood Brooke's feeling because he had been Brooke…well minus the plotting. It left Jake wondering how he and Lucas could have succeeded where Brooke and Peyton had seemingly failed even with years of friendship under their belt. He couldn't understand why Brooke couldn't see her friend's happiness and allow it. Seeing how happy they made each other was what helped nudge Jake towards healing.

"It's fine, Jake," Lucas said after a moment longer. "That's the past. It's all in the past and I told Brooke that. Afterwards, she told me that when Peyton came back from seeing you, she told her that she was in love with me. Brooke broke up with me a few days later and the you know the rest. She said it like it was supposed to change something."

"Why do you think she said it?"

Lucas sighed. He had an idea, but there was no use voicing it now. Brooke was gone. "I don't know. I know that what she said hurt Peyton. I won't stand for anyone hurting her. I don't care who it is."

Lucas hook his head and sighed. "I just wish it was different. Peyton really wanted Brooke back."

"I guess we all did," Jake said, quietly. "She changed a lot."

"I know she's still in there. I just can't have her putting my family in pain with everything that's happening now. Is that selfish?"

"Not when you have a family to protect," Jake replied.

"Thanks. Look, I gotta go. William just fell asleep on Paddington Bear."

"Okay, man. My one o' clock is coming in soon anyway," Jake laughed. "Hey are we cool?"

"Yeah, Jagielski. We're cool."

"Awesome. I'll talk to you later, Luke."

Saying goodbye, Lucas hung up and carefully scooped the snoring boy up in his arms.

"I put William to sleep," Anna grinned in a stage whisper.

"Thank you Anna banana. Can you stay here for me while I put him upstairs?"

"Yup!"

"Good girl."

Lucas walked upstairs with practiced careful steps and into William's bright blue nursery. His eyes popped open once and with a quiet, "Dada," he drifted back asleep, not waking when he laid him down in his crib. Lucas leaned his arms on the crib railing and lowered his head to his arms, gazing at his little boy.

There had been no sign of Dan that day and apparently Brooke was gone. Life was seemingly back to normal. As far as little William Scott was concerned, all was right with the world. Lucas wished he could pretend that was true.

**And there you have it. Next chapter will have Brooke in it. Thanks so much to all the fantastic reviews. I really really appreciate them. Gimme more. ;) **


	33. Chapter 33

**I know. It's been awhile. This chapter is very short and I apologize. Journey sort of topped my list of fanfic priorities for a little bit. This fic is a bit difficult to write sometimes because it isn't as plot driven as Journey is or even Bear Witness which I haven't forgotten either.**

**Anyway I hope this satifies at least a bit. Thanks for all the reviews and reminders that you guys want more. It's been fantastic. **

Brooke Davis didn't do a lot of things. She didn't do skim milk or crash diets, films with bathroom humor. She didn't do halfway or size zero on any of her models and she didn't do second best. She didn't do regrets either. Life was far too short, but as she set her bags down in her lavish and achingly empty apartment, she realized she was doing it. She was regretting. A _lot._After Rachel all but dragged her away from Lucas and Peyton's house and into the car, the brunette had sat in utter shock for a good two and a half miles. She thought this must be sort of what it felt like for a wife to walk in on her husband with another woman. However, there was obviously no betrayal. How could there be? Lucas wasn't her husband. He hadn't even been her boyfriend in seven years. There was just more shock at the sight than you could light a small town with.

And it was this amount of shock that gave Brooke pause while they crossed Virginia. There was nothing shocking about a man making love to his wife…well maybe sort of, considering the divorce statistics and the fact that they were doing it outside where just about anyone could see them. She had somehow gotten it into her mind that what Lucas and Peyton had wasn't supposed to be. That the life he had with Peyton could be so much better if he was with her. But it was hard to believe such things after witnessing the raw, unadulterated passion they had for each other, slaked against the side of their home.

This was passion she and Chase had lacked, passion that if she was honest with herself, even she and Lucas had lacked when they were together. But her mind wouldn't let her make those leaps now as she sat down beside her bed and began playing her messages. Several were from Victoria, two from Chase, only serving to make her feel numb, a handful from 'friends' who wanted the skinny on her trip back home where her "hottie ex-boyfriend" lived. That made her heart ache in a different way.

The image of said hottie and Peyton together wouldn't leave her mind. She thought long and hard about everything that had occurred while she was in Tree Hill. She had gone through a strange metamorphosis that even she couldn't explain.

It hadn't just been jealousy for the life Peyton had and she didn't. Although, she would have given anything for Peyton's life; to call those sweet children hers, to call Lucas her husband, and lay down beside and make love to him every night. To hear him whisper he loved her in her ear, to live for simple pleasures and family. Instead she had this fashion empire and life that was growing increasingly empty, emptier now that she saw what her life lacked.

And she knew it was her own fault that she didn't have any of these things. It was her own fault for letting him go all those years ago and it was her own fault that she didn't fight for him when there was still even a chance he might feel the same way. And for that she would always regret.

Lucas Scott was and would always be the boy she would have lost everything for, the boy she realized after all this time, she was still in love with, and now she had nothing.

Picking up the phone, Brooke speed-dialed her office and let them know she was home and coming in. Brooke had miscalculated a hell of a lot over the past several days and she hated admitting any wrongdoing or defeat. And Brooke Davis also didn't do pain. So she returned to a tried and true method of mending a broken heart. Brooke Davis went to work.

* * *

Three weeks later

When Peyton opened her eyes that morning it was to the hyper awareness of cool breeze, the warm and peacefully slumbering body beside her, the hand the body belonged to grasping hers across the bed, lusciously soft downy sheets that smelled of her husband and lingering laundry detergent and the quiet sounds of the morning. Birds twittered in the Willow Tree, her son snored softly over the monitor, car engines started, signaling another work day. Lucas sighed beside her in his sleep, drawing a smile from her, and she squeezed his hand lightly.

It had been three weeks since Brooke ghosted out of Tree Hill without so much as a goodbye. Peyton hadn't really expected one after Lucas told her in so many words to stay the hell away, but the idea of the lost friendship saddened her, although she was loathe to admit it. On the heels of Brooke's departure was the beginning of a stint without Dan. There hadn't been a peep from the man. No one had even seen him from a distance.

So, at some point the Scotts begun lowering their guards as life as it has a tendency to do, kept going. A new school year was beginning for Lily and Jamie in two weeks. Nathan was beginning a new coaching job at Tree Hill High, filling in the late Whitey Durham's old shoes. Haley was thrilled that they would get to drive to work together everyday. In the other Scott's house, Lucas was shuttling back and forth between Tree Hill and New York to edit his latest book. This left Peyton at home with the children, much to their delight. Unlike their father, Peyton would let them have fun make it yourself pizzas for lunch and bucket-o-chicken for dinner.

Unfortunately it was during these moments away that the children decided to change on Lucas. In his absence, William had acquired a new habit of falling asleep in strange places. This new quirk of the smallest Scott's was learned after several small panic attacks at not being able to find him, only to have Anna stumble across him under a coffee table or in Lucas's office under his desk. The police were nearly called at one point, until Lily found William snoozing under Anna's bed.

Meanwhile, Anna had become excited about the prospect of school after tagging along with Jamie and Lily on a back to school shopping trip and had let her parents know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to go too. Delighted that her granddaughter was so excited about learning Karen bought the girl a Dora the Explorer backpack that the child refused to take off and was stuffed with an assortment of bizarre things. Peyton quickly realized who was pilfering all the pens and pencils from Lucas's desk, art equipment from her studio, and packets of raisins from the pantry. Both parents were chagrined when Karen said the dreaded P word. At this Lucas had put his foot down and refused to speak of preschool with his mother or Peyton-ever.

Life in their anything but quiet town had returned to normal. And as Peyton turned over to scoot her body closer to Lucas's, she finally believed it. Lucas draped an arm around her waist and tugged closer, exhaling hotly against her neck. Peyton smiled.

It was going to be a good day.

"Hmm," Lucas hummed, sleepily behind her. After a quick glance at the clock he settled back into bed and began dropping kisses on her shoulder. Squeezing her to him, Peyton lifted a corner of her mouth at what she felt pressing into her back and then turned over. They smiled leisurely at each other.

"Good morning, love," he husked, his hands beginning a warm, lazy journey all over her body. Wetness pooled between her legs at his gravelly salutation and her hands grasping his boxer clad hips, began a trip of their own up his bare chiseled torso and chest.

"Mmm," he moaned, lowering his head to suck on the hollow of her throat. She echoed his sentiments and let him pull off the giant sleep shirt she was wearing and then her panties before moving back over her to press his bare chest against hers with a satisfied moan. Another sense of hyper-awareness. Warm naked skin upon warm naked skin, specifically Lucas's warm naked skin. Their sheets were now the smell of hot arousal and sex.

Lucas had returned from another New York trip late last night on the red eye for what he said was the last time. He missed his family terribly when he was away, especially when Peyton would call him so the kids could say goodnight, even William who would babble some excited baby words upon hearing the familiar voice, between trying to stuff the phone his mouth. William had also recently decided everything was for eating.

They bumped noses and he tilted his head. "I missed you, Peyton," he husked.

"I missed you too, Luke," Peyton replied, quietly. "Are you going to have to do another book tour?"

"Yeah," he sighed at her pout. "It's going to suck being away from you. When I get back Anna will probably have colleges picked out for herself."

They shared a laugh at their precocious four year old.

"I miss you when you're away," she whispered seriously.

"I know," he murmured, Eskimo kissing her. "I hate leaving you. I hate it….But," he lowered a hand between her legs and began to stroke her there. "I'm here now."

With a smile he reached the tip his tongue out to swipe at her lips before lowering his own to meet hers. Her mouth opened beneath his with a groan, uncaring of morning breath after years of waking up beside one another. Their tongues began a slow and lazy dance that had them shivering in want.

Lucas shimmied out of his boxers and within seconds he was buried deep inside her. He interlocked their fingers and raised her arms above her head and began moving inside her, bringing one hand down to stroke the side of her body from her arm to her knee. Breaking the kiss, in favor of breathing, she arched her back like a cat.

"Oh God," she gasped. Hot, pulsing, thick. He filled her so completely and had somehow mastered the art of swiveling his hips in such a way that his cock circled her cervix in the most delicious fashion.

Moaning, he pulled back, felt her tightening around his rigid penis and slammed back inside her. He wrapped both his arms around her and began a slow grind before burying his face in her neck.

"Peyton," he whispered, nibbling on the soft flesh of her neck, hissing in pleasure she milked him, letting wave after wave of pleasure carry him up. She sensed he wanted it to last so she let herself float. She shut her eyes and lost herself in the surprisingly soft feel of his skin, the hotness of his breath on her neck, the feeling of him filling her body. She let her hands caress the hard muscles of his arms, back, and shoulders. To glide through the messy strands of blonde hair.

This wasn't a race to completion. Having tuned all of their awareness to nothing outside of the other, it was simply slow languorous lovemaking in the still hours of the early day.

"Your heart," she breathed, making him raise his head to look at her through heavy lidded eyes. "I feel it beating."

She was pressed so tight against his chest that she could feel his heart beating opposite hers. The statement was simple to anyone but them and taking hold of her ring hand Lucas placed it over his chest and placed his own hand over hers.

"Yours is as precious to me as mine is to you."

"Luke."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he panted. God, he said the most amazing things to her when they made love.

She gasped his name as he reached between them and flicked her clit once, twice three times and then he kissed her again deeply like they had forever.

Their orgasms swelled up within them and crashed over them like a wave of water and left them warm and basking in its afterglow.

Peyton sighed happily. Forget good. It was going to be a great day.

**See? When in doubt throw in some smut. :p**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Journey AND Bliss? Oh no she didn't! Oh yes I did! It's because I love!**

**I'm getting uber-excited for Monday, guys. I can't lie. I'm nervous, because I don't trust Mark enough not to mess with us some more, but I'm pretty confidant that we'll get some good Leyton scenes in this season and both characters will be able to redeem themselves.**

**Anywho, until then...**

* * *

Lucas ran his fingers through Peyton's hair and dropped a kiss to her nose before rolling off of her, scooping her to his side. He smiled down at her, remembering that it had been a morning like this that he'd turned to look at her and asked her to be his wife. She was so amazingly beautiful and sometimes he would still wake up and think, "I can't believe Peyton Sawyer is mine."

"Hey," Peyton chuckled, her cheeks beginning to turn pink at the way he was staring at her. Lucas found it utterly endearing that she still blushed when he told her she was beautiful or spoke it to her through his eyes.

"What's going through that head of yours, Luke?"

He fingered a soft curl and replied unwaveringly.

"You."

Peyton's face turned crimson and she looked away with a giggle. He smiled and rested his face closer to hers, his mouth grazing the shell of her ear.

"Love you," he murmured. Peyton turned her head so she could look at him fully and replied,

"I love you too. So much." Hooking a leg over his hip, she snuggled closer to his side. "The kids will be so excited to see you."

"I'm excited to see them," Lucas replied, drawing patterns on her back. "I feel like I'm missing out on so much, even when I'm gone for a week. They're just at that age when they're always doing something new or…"

"Saying something seriously cute," Peyton laughed. "Or embarrassing. William learned how to say stick a few days ago, but only when he says it it sounds like dick."

"Oh no," Lucas groaned, with a chuckle.

"That's not the worst part. We were outside with Karen, Lily and Jamie and William was collecting little branches and things. So he comes running to Karen and me dragging this huge branch behind him and goes Mama, Ga-ma big dick! Jamie couldn't stop laughing."

Lucas slapped a hand over his face to muffle his laughter.

"Karen just looked at him and then at me like, did my grandson really say what I think he said?"

"Oh geez," Lucas grinned. "See this is the kinda stuff I miss-"

"What explaining to your mother that William didn't over hear me talking dirty to you?" Peyton smirked.

"No, you know what I mean."

"I know, but you get to spend all day at home with them Mr. Mommy. It's why you're so insistent on not letting Anna go to preschool."

"Hey," he mock growled. "We aren't supposed to talk about that."

"Luke, it's preschool. We're not talking about sending her to the corner to sell guns," Peyton teased. She rolled her eyes at the look he gave her. "Baby, they aren't going to keep her forever. It'll be good for her. She'll get to interact with other kids her age. That'll be good for her."

"What if she hates it," he pouted.

"Aw," she cooed, sitting up to lean on his chest. "She's still our sassy baby girl. You know we'll be the ones sobbing when she goes. She'll be _fine_. Just promise me you'll think about it okay? For me."

He grunted.

"I'll let you buy a shot gun in preparation for her teen years," she wheedled, teasingly. He smirked at her and kissed her nose.

"Fine you twisted my arm. We'll talk to her about it…I guess." He sighed. "But if she doesn't want to, she's not going."

"That's all I ask," Peyton smiled, dropping a kiss to his chest. "So, your book is all edited?"

"Um…Not exactly."

"Luke," Peyton whined. "You said you weren't going back up to New York until your book tour."

"That is true. Look, I hate being away from you guys so I sort of maybe suggested that Lindsey come down here to finish up the last few chapters, since she's got some vacation time coming up."

Peyton narrowed her eyes at the guilty look in his eyes. "Where is she staying Luke," she asked sweetly.

"Um, I sort of offered her the guest room, but only if you're okay with it," he said quickly, ending it with his most charming smile.

"Lucas," she groaned, throwing herself back onto the mattress.

"What? It just makes sense if she's going to be working with me and it keeps me closer to you and the kids. Plus it gives her a chance for a vacation. She has friends down here too you know."

"Luke, she has a major crush on you," she smirked, looking at him.

"Oh you're delusional," he chuffed. "She's seeing a great guy right now. His name is….Mark something."

She shot him a look. "You just made that up!"

"Did not," he cried, indignantly. "She said so."

Peyton raised an eyebrow. "Mark something?"

"Oh, I'm supposed to remember his last name?"

"I don't need to remind you about those pictures," she said, raising her other eyebrow at him.

"No you don't," he said seriously. "Apparently cute writers are the paps new meat or something. I'll bet they were just trying to start something with us for some sleazy rag cover. Since all my books are about you, it makes sense that they would try to turn me into some kind of womanizer. But Lindsey is strictly a friend and a co-worker."

"A totally hot friend and co-worker who missed her calling as a super-model, but whatever," Peyton pouted.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Peyton, are we really doing this? I see one woman, baby," he husked, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Angelina Jolie-ow!" He laughed as Peyton jumped on him and they wrestled playfully for a bit.

"That's okay," Peyton sighed, pertly once they returned to their corners. "When we have sex I pretend you're George Clooney."

Lucas's mouth fell open. "He-ey!"

"Sorry lover," Peyton shrugged with a wicked grin. Lucas smirked at her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Seriously. All I see is you, Peyton Scott. Oh, you feel that? I get tingles just saying your name with mine."

"Charmer," Peyton whispered.

"Where do you think the kids get it from? It certainly isn't you."

"Hey you're treading on thin ice mister," Peyton growled, poking his chest.

"So is it okay? You know Lindsey loves the kids. She's our biggest cheerleader. You know that."

Peyton made a show of sighing. "Fine, George-Ah!"

She squealed delightedly as Lucas pinned her and dug his fingers into her sides.

"Say Lucas Scott is a million times cuter than George and Brad combined," he cried.

In typical stubborn Peyton Sawyer fashion, she shrieked, "Not a chance," even though tears started streaming from her eyes from her laughter. Lucas grinned evilly, moving his wriggling fingers under her armpits, making her scream.

"Okay okay," she howled in mirth.

"Say it!"

"Lu-hee-hee-Lucas Scott is a million times cuter-"

"And sexier-" Lucas added, moving his finger to her knees.

"And sexier than George and Brad combined," Peyton finished, breathlessly. Lucas pulled his fingers back and they were both left panting and giggling from their play.

"Lets go get the kids up," Peyton said finally rolling off the bed.

"I could take them too, ya know," Lucas called as she disappeared into the bathroom. Peyton popped her head back out and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Aw baby," she sighed, before disappearing back into the bathroom. "Have you even seen Fight Club?"

Lucas pouted, childishly. "I could too, take them."

* * *

When Anna opened her eyes that morning the first thing she thought was, "Hmmm, I wonder if Daddy comes home today," complete with _hmmm_. The four year old sat up and looked at the Incredibles clock on her wall, the one that didn't match anything in her room, but she was insistent on having.

"But Mommy," she'd said in the store. "I yuv the I'credbles! It's my fayferit moofie!"

With a smile tugging at her mouth, her mother had chuckled. "I like that movie too, sweetie."

"Yeah! Mommy, we jus need anodder baby brodder and den _we_ can fight cwime too!" That overly loud comment had garnered a few laughs and "Isn't she a darlings," from folks around them. Needless to say they went home with the clock. She could be very persuasive.

She stared at her clock a little longer. It was too bad she couldn't tell time. All she knew was she wasn't allowed to barge into her parent's bedroom before the big stick was on the 12 and the little stick was on the eight….unless it was an emergency…..And that she had to knock…..And that no matter where the sticks were pointed, she had to wait for them.

Some mornings though, would find her knocking on their door anyway out of boredom and a misconstrued idea of what the word emergency meant. Hunger seemed like a life and death situation to her. Anyway, how'd they expect her to remember all that? So many rules…..

Climbing out of bed, Anna scooped up her bag pack and putting it on, padded across the room in Incredibles footie pajamas to sit in front of her toys. She wondered what fun adventures Mommy had in store for her today. Although both her parents were, without a doubt the bestest ever, Peyton played the role of 'good cop' when it came to certain things.

Daddy would build forts and caves out of cushions and sheets with them. Mommy would build forts and caves out of cushions and sheets and let them eat bucket-o-chicken in them. Daddy would never let them have pizza for lunch without vegetables, but Mommy not only let them have pizza, but she let them put bologna on them too!

Also, since Mommy didn't cook, she had become quite an excellent and inventive sandwich maker. Anna and William had had endless amounts of fun standing beside her at the counter, adding marshmallows to their peanut butter, banana and cheese sandwiches. Even though it left them all with tummy aches that had them all napping together in the 'big bed' all afternoon.

To be sure, William and Anna loved it when Mommy stayed home with them, but they all missed Daddy when he was away. William had cried all the way home from the airport the first time they dropped Lucas off and for an hour after the taxi that came to pick him up the second time had left. She had missed him too, but saw how sad it made her Mommy that Daddy had gone, so she did her best to be a big girl and help Mommy make William smile again. Because no one was happy when William was sad. But Mommy had said Daddy would be coming home soon!

Anna's eyes snapped wide in delight as a brilliant idea came to her. "We should have a parade for Daddy!"

She excitedly began lining all of her toys up, except for Turtle and Buddy Pine(a doll Lucas had reluctantly bought her even though he thought it looked like Chuckie). They were in timeout(an overturned laundry basket) because Turtle tried to eat Pig and Buddy Pine, because he tried to take over her room.

She stood back when she had finished and then deduced she would need several red wagons and a very large sign to make this all happen, "without a snitch."

She bounced up and down and looked at her clock again. She needed Mommy for this! As she tried to figure out if this counted as an emergency and if the rules even still applied because Daddy wasn't home, the door to her room creaked open and Peyton popped her head in followed by the rest of her, carrying William, who was rubbing his eyes with a little knuckle.

"Hey there little girl," she whispered, pausing momentarily to shake her head and smirk at the line up of toys on the ground.

"Mommy," Anna cried, bounding towards her and wrapping her arms around her legs. "Mommy I need some wagons and a sign!"

"Say good morning, Anna," Peyton sighed at the child who often got ahead of herself.

Anna gave her mother a genuine, heartfelt squeeze and giggled, "Sorry. Mornin' Mommy."

"Good morni-Why is the laundry basket in here?"

"Time out," Anna shrugged.

"Okay, Spud, what have you got for me this morning?" Peyton sighed looking out over the sea of toys.

"It's a parade for Daddy when he comes home!"

"Aw honey, that's so sweet of you. Daddy would love that, but do you think you have time to put it together?" She asked, setting William down so he could toddle towards the parade.

"That depends on how fast you can get me some wagons," Anna smiled sweetly.

"Hmmmm," Peyton made a show of thinking. "Well I _am_ very fast, but I think you're daddy might be faster."

At that moment Lucas popped his head in and grinned. "Is there room for one more?"

"DADDY!" Anna squealed, running full tilt into his arms. "You came home!"

"Of course I came home," Lucas laughed, dropping kisses on her cheeks and giving her a squeeze. "I'll always come home to you guys."

"We missed you Daddy! Lots and lots!"

"I missed you all too, so so much," he sighed, looking up at his wife, over his daughter's head to wink at her.

"I made you pictures!" The little girl offered excitedly.

"You did?"

"Yeah! An' Mommy showed me how to make sandwiches. I can make you one!"

"I would love that," Lucas grinned. He patted her back and rolled his eyes. "Anna are you ever going to take off that bag pack?"

"I take it off to bath and to eat and sleep like you and Mommy said!"

"Yeah, but…." He looked to Peyton for help, but she simply shrugged. She had no more luck in getting the bag pack off their daughter. "I got nothing'," he sighed.

"Tater, look who's here," Peyton laughed, turning to the baby, who was ignoring everything that was going on behind him as he double fisted two of Anna's toys.

"Tater?" Lucas echoed.

"It's coz he looks like a tatoo-tot," Anna giggled, delightedly. "It was my idea!"

"We were giving him a bath and it just came to her. I liked it," Peyton shrugged with a smile. "Look at him. He does look like a tater tot. I'm just bummed I didn't think of it myself. Although I did dub our little princess here, Spud."

Lucas laughed, although he was bummed himself. This was the kind of stuff he worried about missing when he was away. He missed the birth of new knick-names. He could just imagine Anna throwing herself on the ground to laugh about the fitting new name she'd given her brother.

"Hmm, Tater and Spud," Lucas said, looking down at his son who had yet to turn around and then squinting at his daughter, thoughtfully. "I think it fits. But you do know he's going to hate us all in ten years for this right?"

"I think he'll love it," Peyton grinned with a comical shrug of her shoulders. "Won't you Tater-Scoot."

"Okay, that, he will definitely hate you for," Lucas laughed at his wife's antics.

"Scoot Tater?" Peyton tried with a smile. She knelt down beside the baby who was too busy to bother with any of them at the moment and physically turned him around to see Lucas.

"Hey William," Lucas called. Hearing his father's voice William finally looked up and when he did, his squeal was ear-splitting. Dropping the toys the child jumped up and down before running to his father. Anna had run to her mother with hands over her ears.

"Dadadaddadadadada! Dada!"

"Hey buddy," Lucas chuckled, swinging the excited baby up into his arms to give him a cuddle. "Aw, I missed you, baby boy."

"Ma Dada," William giggled, his arms flapping.

"Mommy he broke my ears and my parade," Anna pouted.

"Aw, sweetie, we can put it back together later in the backyard. How about that?"

"Will you hep me?"

"Of course I'll help you," Peyton smiled, brushing a long blonde bang out of her daughter's face.

"I can help you too if you'd like, Anna," Lucas offered.

"No!"

"Anna," Peyton admonished, looking at Lucas. Lucas's mouth dropped, and he tried to keep his face from showing the slight hurt he felt. Peyton knew he got a bit sensitive when it came to leaving the kids for periods of time and then coming back for obvious Dan related reasons. As ridiculous as it was, he was always afraid of becoming disconnected from his kids when he went away for his work.

"But the parade is for Daddy," Anna exclaimed in explanation. "Dat's like makin your own birfday cake. Sorry Daddy, but you can't hep."

Lucas chuckled, more so at his own silliness than his daughter's explanation.

"I gotcha, daughter of mine," he smiled. The little girl smiled back and walked towards him to take his hand.

"Can you make me breakfast now? I'm hungry," she said, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth.

"Sure thing, baby girl."

The family trooped down the stairs and into the kitchen. Lucas placed William in his high chair, while Peyton helped Anna up into her chair. She then disappeared into the living room to turn on what she called, "Breakfast mood music." One thing the Scott home never lacked in was the sound of music.

"You want eggs, baby?" Lucas called, as Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over filtered through the kitchen.

Peyton bounced back into the kitchen. "Yes, please!"

Anna began to giggle at her mother's enthusiastic response. "Mommy's eggs got runnied!"

"My eggs were runny, weren't they," Peyton winked at the little girl, as she went to the refrigerator to get milk for the kids.

"You wants eggs too, sweetie?" Lucas asked, skillfully cracking eggs into a bowl.

"Yes please," Anna excitedly kicked her foot against her chair leg and accepting the Monsters Inc cup full of milk from her mother. "Daddy, I yike eggs."

"I know you do," Lucas smiled. "Scrambled right?"

"Yeah, with hams in it!"

"Ham, baby. Singular. How about we do sausage today, though."

"Okay! I yike saus-ges."

"You like all food, Spud," Peyton smirked, returning to the table once again with Cheerios and bananas for William. Anna grinned back at her bashfully, watching with interest as Peyton dropped a handful of Cheerios in William's tray and then began cutting up pieces of the banana for him.

William, who had been tracking every move Lucas made with big eyes, stopped to slowly pinch a little oat ring between his index finger and thumb. He studied it up close until his eyes crossed, making Peyton and Anna laugh, then crammed half his fist in his mouth to drop the Cheerio on his tongue.

A cup of coffee appeared in front of Peyton and she craned her neck up to smile her thanks. Lucas dropped a kiss on her lips and turned back to the stove top were the eggs and sausage were sizzling away.

"Okay, Anna, come and get it," Lucas called, plating up the eggs sausage and toast for his daughter. With food, coffee and milk distributed, they all sat down together for breakfast.

Anna pulled pictures out of her bag back that she'd drawn in Lucas's absence. In one of the pictures she'd drawn, Lucas was, for some reason, riding a deer. This led to a conversation about why Anna couldn't have a deer as a pet. William babbled away and Peyton tried to get him to say the new words he'd picked up for his father. All the while Peyton played footsie with him under the table.

Lucas smiled. God, it was good to be home.

**That dick thing is actually a true story. My neighbor's fifeteen month old Shawn is my golden curled, blued eyed, giggling muse. And well the kid looks like a tater tot.**

**Review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Um....Hi guys. I know how hard I suck and I am SSSSSSOOOOOOO sorry for keeping you guys waiting this long. I've been focusing real hard on this last semester of school and personal issues that really kept me from working and updating as I'd like to. The good news is I am graduating in two weeks and I get to be a real person again, which means more updates(Joeycreek :-)). I've actually had this chapter for awhile and just finished it and a new short chapter of Journey today. **

**For all you awesome reviewers and fans, all I can say is thank you so much and I appreciate your support.**

**

* * *

**"Wait a minute," Nathan said, stopping in the middle of the baby aisle. "Lindsey your smoking hot editor who had Peyton thinking she was some ugly no talent loser, is staying in your guest bedroom to finish editing your book? Seriously?"

Lucas rolled his eyes and spared him a glance, before picking up a package of Huggies for William, who sat in front of him in the shopping cart sucking on a pacifier and patting his hand, happily.

"Peyton knows that she is the only woman I see, the only woman in my heart. She's secure in my love for her and knows that Lindsey, as wonderful as she is, could never hold a candle to her. It's not that big a deal, Nate," Lucas sighed, moving the cart along."

Nathan stared at him a moment and then snorted, "Whipped."

"I'm sorry, I'm not the one holding the grocery list my _wife _gave me," Lucas smirked.

Nathan frowned and then sighed. "Yeah….."

"Do you guys have cilantro?"

"I don't know," Nathan shrugged, scanning the list Haley had pressed into his hand before they left. He gazed with confusion at the seas of fresh green herbs. "How do you even tell the difference between that and basil if there's no label?"

Lucas shot him an amused look. "You're lucky you have Haley man."

"Hey, she usually deals with the green stuff. If it was up to me, Molly and Jamie would be eating Cheetos and green jello for dinner. It's also not my fault, I'm not a fruity-ass gardener, like you."

"You're lucky I've got my kids with me, man," Lucas replied, raising an eyebrow at his little brother. "And gardening can actually be kinda hot," he added, thinking of William's conception in the garden.

"Don't wanna know, man," Nathan winced, as Lucas expertly choose the herbs they would need for the hamburgers later. Lucas and Peyton had planned to bring the family over for dinner and pool-time at Nathan and Haley's that evening. A random comment about the beautiful weather turned the dinner plans al fresco, which turned into "Lets grill some burgers. Nathan can you go to the grocery store and get some meat? Lucas, please go with him…"

So the two men met from their respective houses at the grocery store. Lucas with his kids and Nathan with his list. They moved over to the vegetables and Lucas began picking out some eggplant to grill.

"You like eggplants don't you, Tater," he asked, the baby. William paused his futile efforts to claw open a box of crackers to smile at Lucas around his pacifier.

"I yike egg-pants too, Daddy!"

Nathan chuckled as a red-faced Lucas shushed the little girl riding her uncle's shoulders. It wasn't the embarrassing level of loudness that he minded, it was the attention. He still had people approaching him for autographs.

Sighing, Lucas smiled up at his daughter. "You like all food, baby bird, but lets use our inside voices, huh."

"Daddy, I'm tall!"

"Yeah you are," he simpered, bagging up two good sized eggplants and placing them in the cart. "Riding Uncle Nathan is like sitting on a giraffe huh?"

"Very funny." Nathan rolled his eyes at him as they rolled their carts onward.

They stopped once again in front of the laundry detergent. "Oh hey, man," Nathan spoke again suddenly. "I've been meaning to ask you this for like three weeks now."

"What is it?" Lucas asked distractedly, wondering if Peyton would care if they switched laundry detergents.

"Well, you know I'm taking over as coach for the Ravens this fall."

"Yeah," Lucas smiled. "Those poor guys won't know what hit'em. I'm really proud of you Nate."

"Thanks. But, well, I was sort of wondering if you wanted to be assistant coach. You know the Ravens haven't won a State Championship in years and who better to lead them to victory than the two guys who won it for us the last time."

"Aw, man Nate. I'm honored man, really, but I've got the kids. What am I supposed to do with them?"

Nathan shrugged. "It's only after school for a few hours a couple times a week so Peyton should be home by then. Or bring them along even. I know you have the time and I know you don't need the money but...you have to admit you miss it all in some capacity."

Lucas sighed and distractedly picked up the box of crackers William had decided he was fed up with and tossed out of the cart.

"Yeah, I do. Sometimes," Lucas's basketball dream came to an official end after they won State. The extent of Lucas's basketball life was now minimized to watching pro and college ball on television with Nathan while their kids crawled all over them, and of course shooting around on the river court. But the loss of that one dream had come with the realization of other dreams; becoming a published author, marrying the woman of his dreams and then raising their children. He was pretty okay with that.

William's sweet coo of thanks as Lucas opened the box and handed the baby a cracker made him smile. Hell, he was more than okay with it.

"I have a book tour that'll be coming up soon."

"Doesn't matter," Nathan said, shrugging off the excuse. "It's only a couple of weeks. Besides if we can get Will in there early there's a chance at least one Scott offspring will become a baller."

Chuckling, Lucas replied, "It sounds tempting little brother." And it really did. "I'll talk it over with Peyton."

"As long as you think about it, man. That's all I ask. Don't let the fact that this is Whitey's legacy influence you at all."

Lucas rolled his eyes at his little brother's less than subtle manipulation. "Thanks for that."

"No pressure. So, that's not gonna be…weird?" Nathan asked, changing the subject so fast Lucas thought he was with Jake, king of quick subject changes, for a second.

"What'll be weird?"

"Lindsey."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "No. Why would it be? You act like Lindsey has never spent time down here before. She's friends with Haley and Peyton and Molly now."

"Yeah, but she's staying at your house," Nathan managed to get in before he felt a pat on his head, from Anna.

"Lindsey is my friend too, Uncol Naffan!"

"How can she not be your friend Spud," Nathan grinned. The new knick-names had caught on fast.

"Nate, I just don't see what the big deal is. Do you not like Lindsey or something?"

"No, it's not that," Nathan insisted as they rolled onward to the meats. "I like Lindsey well enough. I think it's sort of goofy how she goes on and on about how epic you and Peyton are, but I guess that's her job considering all your books are goofy love stories."

Lucas stopped suddenly and stared at Nathan. "You read my books?"

Lucas and Nathan grinned at each other. "Only on the john. Hey should we get shrimp?" Nathan asked. "This is on sale."

"Yeah, go for it," Lucas replied. "So if you like Lindsey and we like Lindsey, what's the problem?"

"Lindsey has a crush on you man. It may just be a fan-girl crush, but after Brooke I just figured you wouldn't want to deal with any of that kinda drama. Plus, what's with inviting a supermodel to your house the same week of your wedding anniversary?"

Lucas stopped his cart abruptly once again with a muttered curse making Nathan stop too and turn around. Nathan was right. His and Peyton's wedding anniversary was two days before Lindsey was scheduled to leave.

"Shit," Lucas muttered again.

"Daddy," Anna cried, wagging a figure at him as Nathan caught up. He began dancing from foot to foot in glee.

"This is priceless," he guffawed. "You of ALL people forgetting your wedding anniversary!"

Lucas scowled at him as he laughed. "Cut it out Nathan."

Anna looked from one man to the other. "What's anni-fersfer-anni-"

"Anniversary baby," Nathan supplied. "It's very _very_ important."

"It's the day your mommy and I got married, babe," Lucas sighed.

"I'm so telling Haley," Nathan chuckled as they approached the register.

"You are _very_ lucky I've got my kids with me," Lucas growled once again. He leaned on the cart handle pensively, while Nathan began placing items on the belt. "Besides, it's not like it's today. I've got a week to plan something romantic."

"You're the king of grand gestures, dude" Nathan said as the cashier rang them up. "I'm sure you'll think of something that'll make whatever I give Haley for our anniversary look like a bag of dog crap."

"Hey just in case I do take her out of town, can you and Hales watch the kids for us?"

"Why? You have a built in babysitter," Nathan shrugged, referring to the leggy houseguest.

"Very funny," Lucas muttered. Nathan paused as he was swiping his card and reached out in front of him with eyebrows raised.

"Yeah…well. I know one thing you probably shouldn't get her."

"What's that?"

"This," Nathan held up the tabloid magazine and to Lucas's utter mortification he was on the cover. It was a grainy photo, but it was clearly him having a 'lovers spat?' with 'fashion mogul' and 'ex-high school flame' Brooke Davis.

"Oh God," Lucas muttered. "Oh Jesus, I think I'm going to be sick."

"Luke, when was that even taken?"

"That was the day Dan showed up. This is me telling Brooke to stay away from Peyton." The blonde groaned and slammed his head on his arms making William pat his head with a giggle.

"Well what are you gonna do?"

Lucas tossed the rag onto the belt with the rest of the groceries. "I'm gonna go home and hope to God Peyton hasn't heard about this before I can tell her myself."

* * *

"What a minute," Haley said, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she chopped lettuce for dinner. "So Lindsey is going to be staying in your guestroom?"

"Yeah," Peyton sighed, as she looked through a variety of cookbooks she'd secretly bought. "That's not weird right?"

"Um…you tell me," Haley smirked. "You're the one who said, and I quote, she makes me feel like an unsuccessful frumpity frump."

"That was like six years ago," Peyton laughed with a roll of her eyes. "Things with Lucas and I were still new and awesome and you know me. When I'm happy for too long it's only a matter of time before I realize that's not how my life goes. Then I unconsciously try to sabotage. When I saw that picture of him and Lindsey, hell when I _met_ Lindsey I just…I dunno-"

"Totally lost it?"

"I didn't lose it."

"Peyton if you think Lucas could ever look at another woman the way he looks at you, you've lost it," Haley laughed.

"I know, but that was then…"

"And now your hubby is gonna be cooking her breakfast. You _have _come a long way," she teased.

"Shut up, dude. Honestly, it's not so bad. Luke and I are in a completely different place now, a better place. And that whole thing all those years ago really didn't have anything to do with Lucas and I so much as it did my own self-esteem."

"Um, really?"

"I know, I know. It's ridiculous. I just wanted to be the best I could be for Lucas, you know? Ew, did I just say that out loud? I'm such a cheese ball," Peyton groaned.

"Looks like Lucas is finally rubbing off on you….ew."

She shuddered a bit and Peyton pulled her phone back to stare at it and guffawed. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Scott!"

"Stop answering the phone when you're having sex with Lucas," Haley cried, with a slightly disgusted giggle.

"I am not the only who does that! I seem to remember calling over here just last week to you and Nate moaning and groaning. Don't deny it. I know what he sounds like."

"Peyton!" Haley squealed, dropping her knife on the counter and nearly the phone as well.

"I'm just saying," the blonde shrugged, with a playful glint in her eye.

"Okay, truce," Haley said, still chuckling. "The Scott boys know how to keep their women satisfied."

"Damn straight," Peyton grinned.

"Stop it."

Peyton gaped. "You can't even see me! Stop what?"

There was teasing laughter in her voice when she replied, "Stop thinking about whatever it is you and Luke were doing when I called you today."

"Oh come on Hales the kids were in the house. It was innocent making out."

Haley raised two incredulous eyebrows. "Is he _that_ good of a kisser?"

"He might of felt me up a little too," Peyton admitted. "And yes he is."

The two women dissolved into chuckles. "So it's good to have him home?"

"It's great to have him home," Peyton sighed happily. "That's one upside to Lindsey coming down here. He'll be gone soon anyway for the book tour and I really want him around as much as possible until then."

"I can understand that. I guess an impromptu drive up to the Cape is out of the question for your anniversary this year huh?"

"What?!"

"Oh Peyton relax. The king of grand gestures will find some way to sweep you off your feet even with Lindsey here."

"Dammit," Peyton exclaimed, dropping her Taste of Tuscany cookbook. "I can't believe we forgot!"

Haley set her knife down once again with a giant grin plastered on her face. "I'm sorry did you just say you forgot your wedding anniversary?"

"Not funny!"

"It actually kind of is," Haley smirked.

"Shit," Peyton hissed.

"Mommy," Anna cried. Surprised, Peyton turned around to find the four year old wagging her finger admonishingly at her. She hadn't even heard them come in.

"Sorry, sweetie. That was naughty of me," she apologized, as she stuffed her cookbooks hastily under the couch. "You and daddy are both naughty," Anna informed her. Peyton raised her eyebrow at Lucas as he unloaded the groceries and he threw her bashful smile.

"Daddy is naughty too huh."

"Hey Peyton I gotta go. My Scott just walked in the door," Haley said.

"Yeah, mine too," Peyton replied. "We'll see you at five-thirty."

As Haley was hanging up the phone, Peyton heard Nathan giddily say, "Guess who forgot their anniversary!"

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but chuckle as set the phone down. She supposed it was amusing to see that the "super couple," was mortal after all….although Haley and Nathan were ones to talk. Always and forever…..

"I'm gonna put the kids down for a n-a-p," Lucas said, turning from the last of the groceries.

"I can do it babe," Peyton replied, snatching William by the backs of his overalls as he tried to scoot past her. "I'll be down in a little bit."

"Okay, I do need to talk to you, so if you can find me when you're through upstairs."

"Uh oh," Peyton chuckled, jokingly. "I'll be as quick as these little monsters will let me."

Lucas nodded and watched her pick their toddler up and take their daughter by the hand. He waited a beat before taking the last item out of the grocery bag.

Walking into his office, he sat down heavily and opened the rag to the blurb that questioned what he was doing with his ex-girlfriend. Stupid Ravens book, he fumed. No one would know famous fashion designer Brooke Davis had been his ex-girlfriend if he'd just left that part out. Fortunately, it wasn't an entire article, but he paused at a strangely familiar picture of Peyton with the caption, "What about his wife?"

The picture was slightly familiar…but he wasn't sure how. He never paid any attention to these sorry magazines and he was very rarely in them. Yet the photo had been taken at long range. All of them had.

"What's that?"

He jumped slightly at Peyton's voice behind him and stood up.

"Lucas what is that?"

"It's Onlooker magazine," he replied, handing it over to her.

"The same idiots who claimed you were sleeping with Lindsey all those years ago?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "The good news is, I'm not sleeping with my editor anymore. The bad news is…I might be sleeping with Brooke."

"What?" Peyton gawked at the photographs, and recognizing the clothes Lucas and Brooke were wearing looked up. "Is this that day you told Brooke off?"

"Yeah. They managed to turn me yelling at Brooke to stay away from you into me having a lovers quarrel with her."

"These people are unbelievable," Peyton muttered, flipping it open to find her picture staring back at her. "Wha-Where did they get this picture of me?"

"I don't know," Lucas sighed dropping himself on the couch. "But it seems we have our very own paparazzi."

"God, I haven't even seen anyone. Have you?"

"No," Lucas shook his head. "It's creepy right?"

"It's very creepy," Peyton huffed throwing the magazine into the trashcan beside Lucas's desk.

"I'm more surprised Lindsey hasn't called yet. This kind of thing isn't what a publisher needs when their writer is putting out a new novel."

Peyton sat down on the edge of his desk and looked at him carefully wondering if h e'd really forgotten their anniversary. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No…not just that," Lucas replied, chewing his bottom lip. "I think I might have screwed up something else."

"Yeah?" Peyton intoned, raising an eyebrow. "Does it start with an An and end in versery?"

"I don't know how I could have possibly forgotten," Lucas moaned, placing a hand upon his head.

The last thing he expected her to do was giggle. "Um babe?"

"I realized that I'd forgotten too just before you came back. _Haley_ reminded me."

"Nathan reminded me," Lucas smirked. He grabbed her hand and hauled her into his lap. "Well, we obviously won't hear the end of it from them, but it doesn't mean we won't have an amazing anniversary."

"With Lindsey," Peyton sighed dreamily. She poked his side, jokingly. "Oh hey, maybe you'll get that threesome you've always wanted."

"Ha ha," he responded dryly, with a hint of a smile. Peyton laughed, and snuggled herself closer to him.

"Honestly Luke, it doesn't matter what we do. You know me. I don't need a trip or some extravagant gesture."

"I know," Lucas replied, pulling lightly one of her curls. "It's just that…you're special Peyton…You mean everything to me and you deserved so much more than the proposal I gave you at eight o clock in the morning and-"

"Lucas, there was nothing wrong with your proposal," Peyton exclaimed in shock, cupping his cheek with her hand. "Do you really think that? That proposal was _so_ us. It was perfect. I told you I don't need flowers or speeches or any of that stuff."

"I know that, but…you deserve those things. I'm a word guy Peyt. I write, but even I know the limitation of words and I haven't even come close to finding the right ones to express how I feel about you. Why do you think I write so many books that are in some way, shape or form about you?"

Touched, Peyton beamed at him. "Luke," she whispered.

"I told you that day I wanted to spend the rest of my life making you happy and trying to show you how much I love you. I'm still working on it babe and forgetting our anniversary was not one of the ways I had in mind."

"Lucas," Peyton sighed, taking hold of his face between her hands. "Everyday you show me how much you love me. It's in every touch, every look, every word. It's in the way you take care of our children and the way you provide for us. Luke this life that I'm living with you is all I need, all I've ever wanted. Even if we never celebrated another anniversary again, this right here is all I could ever want."

She finished it off with a kiss and Lucas returned, soundly. When they pulled away he smiled softly at her and asked, "How'd you get so amazing Mrs. Sawyer-Scott?"

"Well I could write you a formula," Peyton replied cheekily. "but I think our time could be much better spent." She leaned down to nip at his top lip and then his full lower lip, teasing lightly with her tongue. "Don't you?"

Lucas's eyes turned dark and he lifted a corner of his mouth into the signature Scott smirk.

"What did you have in mind?"

"A lot of this," she whispered, before covering his mouth with hers. He moaned appreciatively and wrapped his arms around her waist.

He moved to stand, intending to take her to their bedroom, but Peyton's hands found his shoulders and shoved him back down. Surprised and more than a little turned on by her forcefulness, he raised his eyebrows at her.

"No, here," she whispered. "I want to make love to you in the room you create all those beautiful stories."

"That is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me," Lucas smiled, running his fingers through the soft curls of her hair. "And the hottest."

"I picked a little something up from you," Peyton grinned. A burst of air through his nose served as his chuckle as he leaned forward and kissed her jaw slowly, once and then again.

"No more talking," he husked, reaching down for the hem of her shirt. He lifted it over her head and dropped it to the floor before reaching for her again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to hers, moaning as she opened her mouth and offered her tongue to him. His mouth was warm and she smiled at the taste of grape juice on his tongue from one of the children's juice boxes that he'd brought with him for the grocery store trip.

He leaned back so she could remove his tee-shirt and then slid the straps of her bra down her shoulders dropping kisses on the skin of her collarbone. He looked up at her and smiled at her head thrown back, chest heaving in arousal, waiting for him to touch her. She took his breath away. Every time.

For every novel he'd written, this was the part he always left out, the physical manifestation of their connection. He wasn't feeding her a line when he said he was still trying to figure out how to express in words how he felt about her. In moments like these he wanted to be able to describe what it felt like to hold her in his arms, to be inside of her, to have her around him. It was more than physical. For all he'd told the world about his love for his wife, there was a reason no one would ever truly comprehend what it meant for Lucas Scott and love Peyton Sawyer. Making love to her was the closest to religion he'd ever gotten. But there is only so much about religion anyone can understand. A great deal of it is faith and for Lucas Scott, that was not only enough, but it was precious and it was only theirs to understand.

He brushed a thumb across a rosy nipple and felt himself stiffen even further as she shivered and breathed his name, rocking her hips forward in his lap.

"Baby," he whispered, leaning down to pull a nipple into his mouth. Her keening cry made his arms tighten around her waist and rock his hips forward to meet hers with more passion. He needed more of her, he needed more skin, he needed her naked and he needed it now.

Peyton was there with him, needing him like it was their first time still. They reached for each other's pants at the same time. Their passion was fueled by the knowledge that one of the children might decide to cut their nap very short. It was one of many a stolen moment. For a reason both of them were not yet able to describe, they needed that physical union. They needed to touch.

They wiggled out of their pants and underwear quickly and as Peyton moved to straddle his lap once again Lucas reached a hand out to cup her sex, plunging two eager fingers into her warmth. Peyton's mouth fell open and she threw her head back, her knees on either side of his hips, hands braced on the back of the chair. From this position Peyton's breasts bounced tantalizingly in Lucas's line of vision. He was torn between putting his mouth on her breasts and watching her hips sway and rock back forth as his fingers curled and pumped in and out of her.

He was painfully hard for her and he couldn't help but groan, "You are so sexy. So fucking sexy, Peyton."

The breasts eventually won and he leaned forward to suck the other nipple he hadn't paid any attention to yet into his mouth. Peyton hissed and fell forward resting her head atop Lucas's as he continued the sweet assault on her body.

"Luke, oh Goooooood Lucas," she sighed, crying out when his thumb began to rub her throbbing clitoris. "Luke I'm gonna come!"

Her orgasm crashed over her from the top of her head to her toes, leaving her gasping, Lucas's hands and mouth never stopping their sweet torture as she spasmed around his fingers.

"Oh Lucas. Oh baby," she panted, as his hands moved to her hips .

"I'm not done with you yet Mrs. Scott," he growled, lifting her up and sitting her on his desk. Spreading her legs and hooking them over his broad shoulders, he moved forward and began teasing her with butterfly kisses on the insides of her thighs, inhaling the heady intoxicating scent of her arousal. Pressing a hand flat against her taut stomach, he finally brought his lips down upon her, flattening his tongue he licked her from bottom to top like an ice cream cone then circling the tip of his tongue around her visibly throbbing clitoris. Her words became incoherent as he set to work on her, teasing her with his tongue, circling, sucking, stroking her.

His hand slid up her abdomen and past her breasts and Peyton had enough presence of mind to grasp his hand with the one hand that wasn't tangled in his hair to bring it to her mouth, sucking his middle and pointer finger into her mouth.

He hummed into her depths, sending a deep vibration through her body, that sent her already gyrating hips upward and that only served to wet his desires even more as his tongue continued to stroke her, his mouth sucking her clitoris before flicking it over and over again with his tongue.

"So wet," he murmured. Lucas was in heaven. He loved this. He loved the way her hand pressed him to her hot, wet flesh. He loved the way her hips gyrated against his face as he buried himself in her. He loved the way she smelled the way she mewled and moaned and whimpered. He loved the way her body looked when he would open her eyes and find her arched back like a stretching cat. And he simply couldn't get enough of the way she tasted; sweet and musky and so smooth, so Peyton.

Peyton was trembling as another powerful orgasm washed over her leaving her limp and quivering. Aftershocks wracked her body as Lucas continued to lap at her with his hot, velvet tongue. Finally she couldn't take any more and pushed at his head, the words, "No more," slurring through her dry lips.

Smiling, Lucas lifted her body back onto his lap, laughing as she murmured more nonsensical words to him. He kissed her neck, taking his time, leaving little love bites that he soothed with his tongue before pulling her head towards his to kiss her senseless while letting her regain some strength.

He groaned, feeling her hand slide up his thigh to wrap itself around his throbbing cock and began pumping slowly. When they finally parted for air he smiled up at her with heavy lids.

"God, I love you so much," he gasped, his hips bucking off the chair as she continued to stroke him. He felt her wet core, hot against the base of his cock and knew he wouldn't last much longer if she kept doing what she was doing. So, he lifted her hips and she positioned him against her opening, biting her lip in anticipation. He moaned, loving that she still, after all this time couldn't wait to have him inside of her.

He brought her back down as he lifted his hips, causing her and him both to cry out as he entered her deeply. She'd barely recovered from her second orgasm when Lucas began pumping a slow steady rhythm into her, his hands on her hips, rocking her back and forth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her body, her moans intermingling with his own.

Her eyes opened and found his gaze on her face, his eyes a dusky blue, lids heavy, lips parted. She surged forward to pull his full bottom lip into her mouth and he groaned as she suckled on it, teased it with her tongue. His hand found the back of her head and he tangled his fingers in her hair, his tongue darting out to tease her upper lip. Their mouths sunk into a hot kiss, as she ground herself into his lap, clenching the silky wetness of her walls around his thick pulsing length.

He peeked his eye open to make sure his laptop was not sitting on his desk, before he swung an arm out to remove every item of his desk onto the floor. With a surprised squeal Peyton hung on as he stood to lean her back onto his desk and began pounding into her, grunting with each sweet thrust and roll of his hips.

"Oh god, Luke. Ooooh! Yeah. Oh yes, baby," she whimpered, rolling her hips forward with each thrust, before she felt his hand creep between them to pinch and rub her clitoris. Peyton threw her head back against the desk, feeling the crest of her orgasm and preparing herself for the fall. She came with a scream and Lucas followed close behind her, losing his rhythm and coming with one last forceful thrust that sent Peyton spinning again.

Panting, Peyton rolled her head to the side and managed to slip her fingers into Lucas's short tresses. She could feel him own deep exhalations upon her neck and she smiled.

Yeah. The Scott boys knew how to keep their women satisfied.

**You guys deserved some smut after the long wait. I hope it was worth it. It may be awhile until I update again, probably in January when I have lots of time on my school-free hands. **

**Special shout out to JoeyCreek, because I know she has been waiting a loooong time for this, lol.**

**Review to let me know you're still with me!**

**And Matt.....It's good to have you back. :-)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hi everyone,**

**A whole lot of stuff has happened in the past couple months. I graduated from college, I turned 27, and my computer crashed taking all of my written work including chapters I was working on for Bliss, Journey, and Bear Witness.**

**I have been looking for jobs and trying to figure out what to do with my writing since December and neither of those things are going as I'd hoped. I have also lost a lot of interest in One Tree Hill. The show for me is substandard despite all of our LP dreams coming true.  
**

**I think it is simply time for me to go out there and get my life started; find my own love story. I was also disconcerted when I recieved a review for Bliss from a person who I believe might have been underage. As you know some of my material is pretty graphic in its smut and it just doesn't sit well with me that young people are reading it.**

** I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I will not be finishing these projects, and I cannot express how thankful I am to all of the fans who have taken the time to review and stick with me for so long. I feel like I've let you down as you have all been so patient with me. So, perhaps I can somehow remedy this by offering up my stories to anyone who would like to take them on. I could edit and give you ideas. If anyone is interested please contact me. If not, well....Its been awesome.**

**Best,**

**Laura aka Lexlady  
**


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